


A Forgotten Bond

by MTC1020



Series: The Ancient Assassin [3]
Category: Captain America (Comics), Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Amnesia, Avengers Feels, F/M, M/M, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-07 12:34:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 49
Words: 138,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8801032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MTC1020/pseuds/MTC1020
Summary: Book 3 for the Ancient Assassin Series.The wedding is finally happening for Tony and Andrea. How will this impact Steve as he sees his friends growing in their relationship and wondering how his will develop. Steve seeks help from his friends to figure out his emotions and what he wants for himself and Mark. But of course, someone from Steve's past targets Mark. What will happen when Mark begin to lose his memories and joins the other side? Will Steve be able to get Mark back? And how will Steve help Mark get his memories back.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am in the process of editing the story, please forgive any edits you notice. I don't have any beta readers to help. Please leave a comment and thank you for reading. I am also updating the story while working on the fourth book. please be patient, thank you again!

Chapter 1  
Mark  
Mark was sitting on the couch, upside down, waiting in the tailor shop with Andrea next to him playing on her phone. Mark began to hum while Andrea was on her phone. The both were waiting there for an hour while Steve went into the back to be fitted for his suit for the wedding. Tony came walking in from the back of the tailor shop looking at both Andrea and Mark.   
“Sup?” Andrea and Mark said at the same time without looking at Tony. Tony looked at them both still stunned at the sight.   
“You both are still waiting on Steve?” Tony asked.   
“Yup,” Both Andrea and Mark replied at the same time again, neither moving or showing any other expression other than boredom.   
“How is this possible? I showed up late and finished before Steve. He even came here early, and we all met him here,” Tony asked perplexed by the whole situation.   
“Steve is a different body type them most men, Tony,” Andrea finally showed some life looking from her phone.   
“I suppose that is true, but what makes it so tough?” Tony asked.   
“He is tall with very broad shoulders. He can barely find anything which fits him. He probably has a difficult time with someone so close to him taking measurements and adjusting the suit constantly. This is why I suggested he show up earlier, but I guess I should have said an hour earlier instead of a half an hour,” Mark said looking up at Tony while still sitting upside down on the couch.   
“So we wait?” Tony asked.   
“And hope we don’t die of boredom,” Andrea said as she made room for Tony on the couch. Tony took a seat next to Andrea and pulled out his phone. Tony wrapped his arm around Andrea as she curled up next to him.   
“You two disgust me with your habits,” Mark said looking at the both of them and making a face. Andrea shoved Mark almost knowing him off the couch.   
“You are just as bad with Steve. Don’t pass judgment on us when you do worse,” Tony said scoffing at Mark.   
“But we look great when we do it. You two are just vile,” Mark said in response to Tony.   
“Don’t mind him, he is just sassy with his new style. Since he got his hair chopped off, he thinks he is the sass king,” Andrea said not even looking at Mark.   
“I am the sass king,” Mark said sticking out his tongue at Andrea.   
“I don’t know how you manage with that one,” Tony said to Andrea. Andrea looked over at Tony. “You manage with Steve,” Andrea said with a smile.   
Tony paused for a moment and thought. Then Tony looked over to Mark, who looked back and smiled. “I think I got the better deal managing Steve,” Tony said.   
“You sure did,” Andrea said sticking her tongue out at Mark. Mark replied back with his own tongue. Tony laughed at both of them.   
“What’s so funny?” Steve said walking out from the changing room dressed in his suit. Tony and Andrea looked over to Steve but heard a loud thump on the side.   
“Ow,” Mark said from the floor. The three of them laughed at Mark falling.   
“So I guess I look good in the suit then,” Steve said giving a spin.   
“You do, and the wait was worth it with how well it fits you,” Andrea said standing up and looking at the tailoring.   
Mark slowly got up from the floor. “So blue was not something I would expect for the vest color,” Mark said looking at Steve.   
“What were you expecting?” Tony asked smiling.   
“Well to feed your ego and Steve being your best man, red would have been my guess with a gold tie or bowtie,” Mark said smiling walking up to Steve.   
“That… is not a bad idea actually,” Tony said looking to be thinking for a moment. Andrea smacked Tony on the shoulder, “No, you let him wear blue to be Captain America at the wedding. We already went over this.”  
“You are right,” Tony said throwing the idea out of his head. “But it was a good idea.”  
Steve laughed, “Thanks for defending the blue for me,” Steve said to Andrea.   
“No problem, but I am starving so hurry up and get out of that suit,” Andrea said.   
“Alright, sorry it took so long. I will change and be back,” Steve said as he went back to the changing room.   
Steve left the room, and Andrea looked around and then looked at Tony.   
“What?” Tony asked.   
“Where did Mark go?” Andrea asked. Andrea looked around and toward the front door. “Ugh!” Andrea said as she went over to the couch grabbing her phone. “I will see where he went,” Andrea said as she typed a message.   
Steve walked back to the back and went into the changing room. Steve noticed the door closed and was not sure if he pulled it closed. Steve felt someone grab his hip, “Hey,” Steve heard and turned around to see Mark there.   
“What are you doing in here? You know you aren’t allowed to be here,” Steve said in a whisper.   
“Calm down Steve, I came in here to help you get out of the suit. And it pays to be an assassin to sneak in without notice,” Mark said as he pushed Steve against the wall.   
“And did I need help to get out of the suit?” Steve said with a smile.   
“Consider it practice for their wedding night. We will be having fun as well,” Mark said leaning in to kiss Steve. Steve kissed Mark back and ran his hand through Mark’s hair. Steve pulled back and sighed. “I kind of miss your long hair,” Steve said.   
“Not enjoying the change? You can still hold on to it,” Mark showed Steve by putting Steve’s hand on top of his head. “Besides new human life, new look. You enjoyed it when I did it,” Mark said. Steve looked up at the shorter hair cut and the darker red hair which used to be dark brown. “You’re right. There is some for me to hold onto,” Steve said as he grabbed Mark’s hair.   
“Are you being playful Mr. Rogers?” Mark said with a smile leaning into Steve.   
“Possibly, Mr. Mark. What did you have in mind?” Steve said smiling back at Mark. Mark went to unbuttoning the vest and taking the vest and jacket off of Steve. “Like I said, I came here to help you get out of your suit,” Mark said beginning to unbutton Steve’s shirt. Steve grabbed Mark’s hand to stop him, “You know it would not be good to do something indecent here.”  
Mark smiled and leaned in to kiss Steve on the neck, “I know, but you looked really good in the suit and…” Mark trailed off leaning against Steve.   
“And what?” Steve asked. Mark stood back up from Steve and ran his hand through Steve’s hair. “And I missed you. I miss hanging out with you, laughing with you, I miss all of you. I know things have ben crazy with the wedding, me teaching at S.H.I.E.L.D., the missions, and being an Avenger. I need to fix that,” Mark said.   
Steve had cupped Mark’s face before he spoke, “You do need to fix that.”  
Mark laughed. “I know. I will try to balance my life more mainly because…” Mark paused and grabbed Steve’s hand, “I want to.”  
Steve smiled at Mark. “I missed you too, and for the record,” Steve leaned in and kissed Mark grabbing his hair as he did. “I like your new look,” Steve said smiling. Mark smiled back and was about to kiss Steve as his phone went off. Both Mark and Steve looked down to the noise. Mark pulled out his phone and laughed. Steve looked over at the phone and saw Andrea's message.   
“Where did you disappear to? I am hungry!”  
“What should I tell her?” Mark asked Steve. Steve grabbed the phone and wrote a reply.   
“Mark is helping me get out of the suit. We will meet you at the restaurant.” And Steve sent the message. Steve handed Mark his phone while smiling at Mark.  
“And what will keep us from being on time?” Mark asked, and Steve leaned in and kissed Mark. “You said you were going to help me out of the suit, your job is only halfway done,” Steve said playfully. Mark pulled Steve in close, “Mr. Rogers, I do say this is the part I missed most of you.” Mark continued to remove Steve’s shirt, and they heard a knock on the door.   
“Mr. Roger’s is everything okay? You have been in there for a little while,” The tailor asked from behind the door. Steve looked to Mark in a panic. “Don’t worry,” Mark whispered cupping Steve’s face. “Just answer the door and say you will be a little while longer,” Mark smiled as Steve went to the door.   
Steve opened the door. “Sorry, I will just be a little while longer.” Steve realized he answered the door with the shirt completely unbuttoned and the vest and jacket hung on hangers to the side. The tailor looked around and then looked at Steve. “Sorry for disrupting you, Mr. Rogers. I just wanted to make sure everything was alright. I thought I heard someone else as well. I won’t disrupt you again,” the tailor said as he walked away. Steve closed the door and looked around. Mark was gone, and then Steve saw legs come down from the ceiling.   
“Joys of having an assassin for a boyfriend,” Mark said as he jumped down.   
“He heard you in here,” Steve said.   
“And you got worried we would be caught. I can tell from how red you are right now,” Mark said as he pulled Steve close to him.   
Steve smiled. “Did you mean what you said before?” Steve asked.   
“About what?” Mark asked back.   
Steve grabbed both of Mark’s hands and held them in his hands. “About wanting to find a balance, about missing me. Did you mean it?” Steve asked not meeting Mark’s eyes as he asked.   
Mark took one hand from Steve’s hand and pulled Steve’s face to look at him. “I do miss you. I need to balance working at S.H.I.E.L.D. and being with you.”  
Steve smiled as Mark spoke. “You really are going to try?” Steve asked.   
Mark leaned in and rested his forehead on Steve’s. “How about this as well. I will try, but if things get too busy, I will at least make sure I will always tell you I love you. I won’t leave the situation without you knowing that.”  
Steve leaned forward to kiss Mark. “Can you always let me know? It might make it better when you are busy to always know that. I know it sounds dumb, but I know it will help me.”  
Steve stopped talking when he felt Mark’s hand on his face. Steve looked at Mark, and Mark was smiling at Steve. “I will,” Mark said. Steve smiled and leaned in to kiss Mark.   
“So is it easy to say you missed me too?” Mark asked as he pulled back from the kiss.   
Steve laughed, “Yes, I missed you. I hate when you are not around. If I had my way you would stay with me,” Steve said as he grabbed Mark and hugged him.   
Mark squeezed Steve back. “Well not what I planned when you looked sexy in the suit, but I think we need to meet Andrea and Tony for dinner before Andrea kills us.”  
“So not going to help me?” Steve said with a smile as he took off his shirt.   
“I didn’t say that, but we might not have as much fun as we wanted,” Mark said walking up to Steve and unbuttoning his pants.   
“I might need some help with other things, I missed this,” Steve said kissing Mark hinting at something. Mark looked at Steve raising an eyebrow. Steve began to blush when he knew Mark was going to make him say what he really meant. “I mean I miss the things we used to do when it was us alone… in bed… you are going to make me say it aren’t you?” Steve felt his face flush, and then he heard Mark laugh. Steve then felt a kiss along his neck which caused him to take a deep breath.   
“Tonight we can have some of the fun you were talking about,” Mark said as he turned to look at Steve. Steve smiled. “We need to meet Andrea and Tony.”  
“Okay,” Steve said smiling. “You said you were going to help me dress as well.”  
“And buzz kill…” Mark said. Steve laughed and pulled Mark into kissing him deeply.   
“And buzz back,” Mark said as he pulled from the kiss.   
Steve smiled and leaned his head on Mark’s shoulder. Mark scratched Steve’s head.   
“I will let you get dressed. I will be waiting for you in the front,” Mark said as he lifted Steve’s head to look into his eyes. “I love you.”   
Steve smiled and kissed Mark.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
Andrea  
Andrea looked at her phone to see Mark’s response. “Well let’s head to the restaurant. It looks like Steve and Mark will be a while,” Andrea said to Tony as she showed him Mark’s response.   
“I actually think Steve wrote that response,” Tony said he grabbed Andrea’s hand, and they walked to the restaurant. Andrea looked at the message and studied it for a while. “How do you know it was Steve?” She finally asked.   
“You are losing your touch,” Tony began, “He didn’t call you hooker in the message,” Tony smiled at Andrea. Andrea put her phone away and smiled bringing herself closer to Tony as they walked. “You are learning our ways,” Andrea said.   
“I picked up a few things with you two around. I need to know how my future wife will speak to her best friend, now don’t I?” Tony said smiling.   
“I suppose you do,” Andrea said as she put her head on Tony’s arm and while they walked to the restaurant.   
The restaurant was only a few blocks from the tailor shop. Tony stopped short of the doors and grabbed Andrea by the hips spinning her to face him. “You know, maybe they have the right idea. Maybe we should sneak off and have some fun before we head in for food,” Tony said leaning in to kiss Andrea. Then Andrea’s stomach growled. Both Andrea and Tony looked at one another and laughed.   
“Sorry, my body says food first then fun,” Andrea said through the laughter.   
“Well fine, as long as we get dessert,” Tony opened the door for Andrea. Andrea walked in and went to the hostess asking for a table for four. The hostess led Tony and Andrea to the table, and Tony pulled out Andrea’s chair.   
“I hope you don’t lose this charm when we finally are married,” Andrea said sitting down.   
“Tony Stark never loses his charm,” Tony boasted as he took his seat.   
“Tony Stark was never one thought to get married,” Andrea said as she rested her chin on her hands.   
“Well it takes a very particular woman to catch my interest,” Tony began.   
“And an even more specific woman to lock down Tony Stark,” Andrea finished the sentence for Tony.   
Tony smiled at Andrea. “You read my mind.”  
The waiter came by and poured water for Tony and Andrea. Andrea took a sip of the water. “So do you think they will ever tie the knot?” Andrea asked.   
“Natasha and Clint?” Tony asked playfully.   
“We know that will never happen, they could never admit to the world they are falling for one another. I meant Mark and Steve,” Andrea said as Tony laughed.   
“Don’t know. Things have been rough for them these past few months,” Tony said.   
“Did Steve tell you that?” Andrea asked as Tony took a sip of his water.   
“Steve talked a little about it. Mainly how much he missed Mark and that he would fight with Mark working so much. It seems becoming human, working for S.H.I.E.L.D., being an Avenger, and this wedding is taking Mark away from Steve too much. Steve knows he fights just cause he misses Mark. Steve is having a hardtime adjusting to Mark being human than Mark is,” Tony explained.   
Andrea looked at her glass as she began to speak, “I am worried about them.”  
“You are always worried about them,” Tony said looking at Andrea.   
“Well, why aren’t you as worried?” Andrea asked in a firm voice.   
“Cause I know Mark will be left with a choice, and he will pick Steve. He always picks Steve above everything, even his own life. Remember what he put himself through?” Tony said taking a sip.   
“You do raise a good point,” Andrea took a sip from her water.   
“Did I hear you correctly? Did you just give me credit for being right?” Tony said playfully. Andrea reached in her glass and splashed some water at Tony.   
“Don’t get all excited. Statistically speaking, you are bound to be correct now and again, just not often,” Andrea said with a smile. Andrea looked over and saw both Steve and Mark walking into the restaurant hand in hand.   
“Looks like they are doing well for now,” Tony said.   
Mark and Steve sat down at the table. Andrea looked over at Steve. “Huh that’s funny,” Andrea said.   
Steve looked confused, “What is funny?” Steve said looking over to Mark.   
“Well I just thought with how much you blushed from being embarrassed, you would show some color after sex as well,” Andrea said as Steve spit up some water. Mark and Tony laughed at Andrea’s comment. “What? Are we not all adults here?” Andrea asked.   
“We are, but you know how Steve is with that.,” Mark said handing Steve his napkin to clean up the mess. “And we didn’t have sex, we talked instead,” Mark answered as Steve collected himself at the table.   
“Good talk?” Andrea asked.   
“You can never hide your worry about them,” Tony said. Mark laughed at Tony’s bluntness and Andrea’s glare at Tony.   
“It was a good talk,” Steve answered.   
“I am glad, so let’s order food before Steve spits up all over the table again,” Andrea said. The waiter came by, and they all placed their orders. Steve was the only one to order more food since he needed to feed his super soldier metabolism. They all ordered drinks as well, opting for soda since Steve never drank and they all had plans for the evening.   
“So Steve, what are you planning for Tony’s bachelor party?” Andrea asked. Steve looked a little stunned by the question. “What do you mean?” Steve asked.   
“It’s tradition for the best man to plan a last big party for the groom. What do you have planned?” Andrea asked.   
Steve had taken a moment before he answered the question. “Well back in my time, it was just the men going out and enjoying the evening. They would go to a cigar parlor and enjoy whiskey all night. I thought of something like that,” Steve answered.   
“So nothing wild?” Andrea asked.   
“Not too crazy. I mean Tony had wild times before, I thought it would be good to just enjoy the last evening with friends,” Steve answered. Then Steve looked over to Mark. “Do you have something big planned for Andrea?”  
All eyes turned to Mark waiting for the answer. Mark looked over to Andrea and allowed the tension to build before he answered the question. “I was thinking of a nice party at the Avenger Mansion, which would be lots of fun. Something simple not too complicated. I think they call it a Rave nowadays,” Mark answered.   
Andrea squealed when she heard the answer. She could barely contain her excitement.   
“What is a rave?” Steve asked.   
“I don’t think you want to know Steve, just know I am jealous that my bride-to-be is having one,” Tony answered.   
“What goes on at a Rave?” Steve asked.   
“It’s an awesome party, with music all day, some fun adult…things and such. Wait what is the theme?” Andrea asked.   
Mark had taken a sip of his soda before he answered. “Well I got a few of your favorite DJs to come, and I figured Rainbow Unicorn Adventure would be the best theme for you,” Mark said. Andrea couldn’t contain here excitement when she heard this. The table shook with her legs swinging so much.   
“I know Tony can’t come to it since it's for the bride, but can I come?” Steve asked. Everyone looked at Steve when he asked the question. No words came out, the just sheer shock of Steve asking to be at a rave. “Is that a no?” Steve asked.   
“We will see. I mean you should be able to experience a rave at least once. And this one will be a big one from what I have planned. Natasha is helping with the planning. It’s up to Andrea in the end.”   
Andrea looked at Steve as he waited for her answer. “If you come you need to enjoy it and no judging people, especially me since it is my bachelorette party.”  
“I will pay a ton of money for photos,” Tony said as he took a drink.   
“Done,” Mark said, and Andrea glared at him.   
The food arrived, and they all began to eat and talk more about the parties.   
“Are you a bit let down from what I have planned Tony? I can always plan something bigger,” Steve said thinking about the excitement Andrea showed about her party.   
“Nah, I think you said it right. We need to just relax. Besides, I am marrying that wild woman,” Tony said as he pointed at Andrea. Sheoked up from her food and smiled. “Maybe I need to relax before she becomes a permanent part of my life.” Andrea stuck her tongue out at Tony. Tony smiled back at her.   
“I am surprised you want to go to the party, Steve. It doesn’t seem like your style,” Andrea said.   
“Isn’t your guys’ style to keep asking for samples from the caters of the wedding even though we already decided on the food and cake,” Tony said.   
“Don’t judge,” Andrea said.   
“Yeah, you got out of paying for two people’s dinner that day. You just don’t understand our savvy ways,” Mark said siding with Andrea.   
“Did you guys really do that?” Steve asked.   
“They sure did, even asked for seconds of the dishes they liked but we didn’t pick for the wedding,” Tony said.   
Andrea and Mark laughed. “I don’t think you will fully understand our savvy ways, Tony,” Mark said.   
“What do you mean?” Tony asked.   
“Tony, you grew up with money. Steve understands us more than you do base on his upbringing. We didn’t have everything when we grew up so when we find an opportunity to get something for free, we take it. It’s not your fault, you just don’t know what it is like to not be able to have anything you wanted. We wanted free food, so we got it,” Andrea said, and she and Mark smiled.  
“You are right about that, I was raised with anything I wanted basically,” Tony agreed.   
“So…” Steve began, “Can I go?”   
Andrea and Mark looked at one another. Mark shrugged his shoulders. “You can come, it will be fun,” Andrea said. Steve smiled when he heard her answer.   
“It might be interesting to see Steve dressed for a rave,” Mark said.   
“I will pay double for those photos,” Tony said.   
“Done,” Andrea and Mark said at the same time.   
Steve just buried his head in his food. Andrea looked over at Steve. “We are just teasing Steve. It will be fun. I am looking forward to seeing you actually cut loose and enjoying yourself more than you normally do,” Andrea said.   
“We should get more of the mead from Asgard. Steve seemed to enjoy it and no hangover,” Mark said. Steve nudged Mark for his comment but smiled at Mark.   
Andrea and Tony laughed when Steve nudged Mark. They all were enjoying the early dinner together.   
Andrea looked over and saw a woman walking over to the table. The woman was not someone she recognized at all.  
“Steve Rogers? Is that you?” the woman asked as she walked over. Steve looked up, and Andrea watched Steve’s reaction.   
“Oh…um Hello, Maria. How have you been?” Steve answered.   
Maria looked around at the table. “I have been doing well, it's been a while since we talked. How have you been Tony? I heard you got engaged,” Maria said smiling at Tony. Andrea felt some anger flaring in her when Maria began to flirt with Tony.   
“I did, and she is actually right here if you care to introduce yourself to Andrea,” Tony said. Tony knew Andrea was already angry and quickly diffused the situation. Maria turned to Andrea.   
“Maria Hill, a pleasure to meet you,” Maria said holding out her hand.   
“Andrea Silvio, aka Lucinda. Nice to meet you,” Andrea said shaking Maria’s hand.   
“Oh, you just say your Avenger code name out in public?” Maria asked.   
“Well, unlike most people, ex-assassins aren’t really afraid to say their names. We went by them for most of our lives, so our real names are more like code names,” Mark said.   
Maria looked over to Mark and paused for a moment. “I know you, you are the new trainer at S.H.I.E.L.D. Fury has been very selective for soldiers getting into your class,” Maria said.   
“And I have been even more selective when he hands me the list. I noticed he put your name in front of me a few times. No offense to closing the door on the training. I don’t take many students,” Mark said with a smile. Andrea smiled knowing Mark had something on Maria to knock her down a few pegs.   
“I will get in soon enough. S.H.I.E.L.D. is my life, and I want to be trained by the best. I heard you are a world renowned assassin,” Mari said.   
“Was an assassin. I am an Avenger now, and I go by Creed. Learn it,” Mark said. Andrea could feel Steve kicking Mark under the table. Andrea kicked Steve for telling Mark to stop. Steve looked over to Andrea, and she glared at him, Steve backed off.   
“Sorry, I shouldn’t be so forward with my elites. I hope to enter the class soon,” Maria said to Mark then she turned to Steve. “But Steve, we should catch up. It’s been a long time. Maybe get a coffee or something?” Maria asked.   
“Um,” Steve began, “I am not sure how to tell you this Maria, but I am seeing someone, and it is very serious. I don’t think it is a good idea,” Steve said.   
Andrea’s eyes went big when she realized the conversation. Andrea looked over at Tony, and he knew what she was going to ask. Tony nodded to Andrea confirming her suspicions.   
“It’s just two friends catching up, I know she won’t mind it,” Maira said smiling.   
“That’s the thing, Maria…It’s not she, I have a boyfriend, and he is sitting right there,” Steve said.   
Maria looked at Mark shocked by the news. Mark just smiled and waved. “This is a fun way to catch up with friends,” Mark said. Tony laughed, and so did Andrea.   
Maria was still shocked by the news. “Steve… I didn’t know you were…you know.”  
“Well, that’s why I didn’t accept you into the class, Maria. You didn’t figure out Winter Soldier and Steve were dating for years either. Think the ability to assess the situation is a key factor in being a soldier in my class,” Mark said. Maria flared up at Mark’s words.   
“Well I hope we can talk later Steve, I won’t continue on further embarrassing myself,” Maria said.   
“Please do, I am enjoying it,” Andrea said.   
Maria huffed and began to walk away. “Talk to you later Steve,” Maria said as she left the room.   
“Well, I was not expecting that?” Andrea said.   
“Which part? The part that you thought she was after Tony? Or the part where Steve is not a unicorn?” Mark said.   
“I’m not a what?” Steve asked.  
“Both,” Andrea said.   
“For the record, Steve is still a unicorn. He only kissed Maria, nothing more. It was when he was still trying to play the straight role,” Tony explained.   
“Oh…” Andrea said. “I am just happy I still have two unicorns.”  
“What does that mean?” Steve asked.   
“It means you never had sex with a woman, Steve,” Tony explained. Steve turned red and hid his face.   
“Don’t worry Steve, I am a unicorn as well. And Andrea loves Unicorns, so it works out,” Mark said holding Steve’s hand. Steve smiled and lifted his head still showing signs of blushing. They decided to finish dinner, and both couples went their separate ways.   
Andrea and Tony walked back to Stark Tower. It was a nice night, and she loved walking on nice nights next to Tony.   
“I saw Mark grab your silverware when Maria came by,” Tony said breaking the silence.   
“He is smart, if she kept flirting with you, she would have a scar on her face,” Andrea said.   
“It’s sexy when you get jealous,” Tony said grabbing Andrea closer to him.   
Andrea smiled and then let out a sigh. “I don’t know about her, though,” Andrea said.   
“She is mainly harmless. She is a promising S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, but she hasn’t been trained by Mark and seems she ruined all chances of that happening tonight,” Tony said.   
“This is true, but she didn’t take the news well of Mark and Steve being together. I don’t know. Who else doesn’t know about Steve?”  
“Don’t know. I mean we all do, but…” Tony thought for a long while. “I never really asked Steve who knew.” Tony put his arm around Andrea. “Those two Unicorns will be fine though. So are you ready for dessert?”   
“Yup and you have some making up to do for letting her flirt with you,” Andrea said with a coy smile.   
“I will work to get in your good graces,” Tony said.   
“Of course, you will Mr. Stark,” Andrea said as Tony leaned in and kissed her deeply.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
Steve   
Steve paid for the drinks and grabbed both of them as he walked out of the coffee shop. Steve planned on surprising Mark at S.H.I.E.L.D. Steve looked down at the two drinks and was surprised he could remember the names of the drinks which he shared with Mark for the first time at this coffee shop. Steve was enjoying spending time with Mark since the mansion was destroyed. Everyone needed to find a new place to live while the mansion was being rebuilt. Tony and Andrea decided to live at Stark Tower. Steve was offered by Tony to live there as well along with Natasha and Clint, Mark was invited of course, but Steve wanted something for him and Mark. Clint and Natasha took the offer. Mark suggested the idea for him and Steve to get an apartment, and Steve loved it when Mark found an apartment in Steve’s old neighborhood in Brooklyn. Steve was in love with the place, and Mark thought it would be good for them to finally have their own place. Steve agreed since they practically lived with one another in the Avengers Mansion. Steve loved living with Mark. Well, he did, until he saw less of Mark because of missions, Mark working, and Andrea’s and Tony’s wedding. Steve felt lonely in the apartment without Mark there.   
Steve and Mark still had a two more months in the apartment before the new Avenger mansion was built. Tony went all out in completing all the innovations he wanted, which meant the building had needed to take longer than originally planned. Steve didn’t mind. He liked waking up next to Mark in the morning in their own place. He now lived in a place with Mark, it was their own. The absence of Mark over the last few weeks did create fights and tension in the apartment. Steve didn’t feel proud of himself about the fights. Steve always let his emotions come out with Mark. When they fought, his pain came out. Steve would always end up telling Mark how mad he was and in the same breath say how much he missed him. They never fought before.   
Steve could never compare these fights to the ones he had with Bucky. Bucky always left Steve feeling broken and hurt, Mark left Steve feeling heard. Mark tried and had Steve understand how things were changing for them. Steve knew Mark was human now and able to be part of his life more, and he jumped at that chance. S.H.I.E.L.D. offered Mark to train the highest ranking recruits, and Mark took the job. This was what kept Mark from Steve.   
Since the suit fitting for the wedding, though, Mark spent more time with Steve. Steve missed how Mark made him feel safe. Steve could be himself, explore the things he wanted to around Mark and never felt worried. When Mark was around, Steve drew more and laughed much more often. Steve felt himself come out more when Mark was around and caring less about what others thought of him. Steve only cared about being himself around Mark.  
Steve thought of all this as he walked to S.H.I.E.L.D. He wanted to show Mark he appreciated his effort and hoped to surprise him with the drinks they both shared the first time he realized how wonderful Mark was. Steve paused in front of the S.H.I.E.L.D. building. This was the beginning of when Steve would sacrifice more for Mark.  
Steve walked into S.H.I.E.L.D. and went to the elevator. The training rooms were in the basement for the elite soldiers. Steve entered the elevator and pushed the button to go down. Steve almost spilled the drinks trying to hit the button in the elevator. Steve exited the elevator when the doors opened. Steve walked down the hall and paused for a moment. He couldn’t remember which way he needed to go to get to the training room Mark was working. Steve looked down one hall and then turned to look down another as he remembered.   
“Steve!” a voice shouted in the hall. Steve turned, and he looked to see who was shouting his name. Steve didn’t recognize the voice at first. Steve saw a woman running toward him dressing in a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform.   
“Oh, hi Maria,” Steve said as he saw Maria Hill run toward him. Maria walked up to Steve and saw the two drinks in his hands.   
“So is this your way of catching up with a coffee date?” Maria asked looking at the drinks. Steve looked down and realized what Maria understood.   
“Oh um, no I mean I am here to surprise someone,” Steve said.   
“You don’t need to play dumb, Steve,” Maria said as she grabbed a coffee from Steve’s hand. “I am sorry I ruined the surprise, but it was sweet for you to come with coffee for me,” Maria smiled as she looked at Steve. “I know it has been a while since we were together, but I am glad to see you here.”  
Steve felt flustered, not sure what to say to Maria. “I actually came here to see someone else Maria,” Steve began. Steve saw Maria’s expression change quickly.   
“Oh,” Maria said, and she handed the coffee back to Steve. “Sorry, I just thought since I saw you a few weeks ago you came to see me here.”  
Steve took back the coffee, “Sorry Maria. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.”  
Maria smiled, “It’s okay. We can still catch up, though. I mean seeing you with the Avengers at dinner was kind of a surprise.”  
Steve felt uneasy as he remembered he never really explained himself about Mark.   
“Although they didn’t need to be so harsh to me,” Maria said  
“Maria, I don’t know…”  
“Hey,” Mark cut of Steve as he walked over to him. “What are you doing here?” Mark asked as he smiled at Steve. Steve smiled and held up the drinks. Mark looked at the cups in Steve’s hands, and it took a minute to realizes what it meant. “Well that was sweet fo you,” Mark said taking the coffee. Mark stepped forward and kissed Steve on the lips. Steve smiled as Mark stood back and took a sip of the coffee.   
“Hello there Agent Hill,” Mark said as he looked at Maria. Maria just stared at Steve and Mark.   
“So it’s true?” Maria asked Steve. Mark looked confused at Steve wondering what the conversation was about.   
“Maria, Mark and I are together. We have been together for almost a year now. Sorry, I should have explained more the other day,” Steve said apologetically. Mark nodded realizing what Steve was telling Maria.  
“So what was I? Just a joke? Since when have you been into…” Maria trailed off as she asked the questions to Steve and looked at Mark.   
Steve felt flustered at the moment answering Maria, “I grew up in a time where men married women, Maria. I didn’t think it was so accepted in this time period. I never told anyone other than those who figured it out. Then The Avengers showed me it was accepted and I don’t know. I didn’t mean to hurt you. When we were together, I did what I thought I was supposed to do. I enjoyed you as a person, but I never felt it was right for me.”  
Mark put his hand on Steve's shoulder and rubbed it. “Steve, it is okay. It was you just figuring things out. You didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”  
Steve put his hand on Mark’s and held it. Steve smiled at Mark. “Thanks,” Steve said.   
Maria just stood there looking at Steve and Mark. “Well, I still hope to catch up sometime, Steve. And I am still going to try out for your training, Mark.”  
“You are more than welcome to try, Agent Hill. Just remember how select my process is for accepting recruits,” Mark said taking a sip of his coffee.   
“Any advice to help me for when I try out next time?” Maria asked. Mark looked at Maria and thought for a moment.   
“Don’t hit on my boyfriend would be a good start or don’t make him feel bad,” Mark said. Maria got flustered at Mark’s answer.   
“That shouldn’t be a basis for acceptance,” Maria said.   
“For me it is. Please respect the person I care about the most,” Mark said firmly. Maria didn’t argue. Instead, Maria saluted, “I will take my leave, sir.”  
“Go on,” Mark said, and Maria left the Steve and Mark.   
Mark turned to look at Steve, who looked very worn from the whole conversation. Steve didn’t know what to say about him dating Maria and how he could really justify why he did it. Steve worried about what Maria would say to other people who didn’t know about Mark and him being together. He felt his anxiety go up which only happened when he felt like he was back in his time. Back when he thought he needed to act a certain role.   
“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Mark said, and he hugged Steve. Steve felt the warmth flow over him as Mark hugged him. Steve hugged Mark back and just stood there for a while letting Mark make him feel better. Steve came here to surprise Mark, but once again it was Mark who ended up making Steve feel better.   
“So came here to surprise me?” Mark asked.   
“I did, I thought I would bring you coffee,” Steve said as he pulled back to look at Mark while he spoke. “But that wasn’t the surprise I intended to happen.”   
Mark smiled and kissed Steve. “It still was a sweet. I am shocked you were able to order the coffee on you own,” Mark said smiling.   
“I remembered how you ordered the coffee. It was the tea that was harder to remember,” Steve said and stuck out his tongue. Mark smiled and kissed him again. Steve smiled while kissing Mark.   
“I see the two love birds are here,” Steve heard. Fury came walking down the hall. “I hope Rogers isn’t keeping you from your job as my best teacher.”  
“Be happy I am a teacher at all with that attitude of yours,” Mark said looking at Fury.   
“You know I don’t like talking about what I needed to do for you to be a teacher for S.H.I.E.L.D. Let alone letting Rogers know the secret,” Fury said. Steve looked over to Mark wondering what Fury meant.   
“I will let you know later,” Mark said.   
“Don’t share all of my secrets?” Fury said.   
“I know my life can now be threatened, being mortal and all. Don’t worry,” Mark said smiling.   
“So did you consider the mission I asked you to go on?” Fury asked Mark . Steve looked over to Mark wondering what Fury meant.   
“I did,” Mark answered.   
“You were going to go on a mission?” Steve asked, and he noticed his voice begin to rise in volume.   
“I was asked to go on a mission. Fury asked if I have an answer, and I do,” Mark said speaking calmly to Steve.   
“So what’s the answer?” Fury asked.   
Steve looked upset as Fury asked the question.   
“You can ask Natasha or Clint to go on the mission. I am staying here,” Mark said grabbing Steve’s hand. Steve now knew why Mark was getting him to remain calm.   
“Shame, it could have a smart move for you in S.H.I.E.L.D.” Fury said.   
“Cause me being the world’s greatest assassin, and now an Avenger is not a smart move?” Mark snapped back.   
Fury glared at Mark, “You have a point, but snap at me again…”  
“Yeah, yeah,” Mark cut Fury off.   
Steve looked over to Mark, “You are staying? Really?”   
“You don’t want me to stay?” Mark asked.  
“I do, but this means a lot to you,” Steve said.   
Mark leaned over and kissed Steve, “But you are much more important remember.” Mark smile and Steve felt his face flush when Mark said this.   
“I think your students are waiting for you, Mark,” Fury said.   
“Probably,” Mark said. “They will live if I am a little late,” Steve smiled as Mark began to walk down the hall.   
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Mark said as he quickly walked back and hugged Steve one more time. “I love you,” Mark said as he smiled. Steve grabbed Mark’s hand to stop him from walking away. “I love you, too,” Steve said and smiled back.   
“I got to get to my students. See you at home,” Mark said as he walked away.   
“Still a love struck puppy I see,” Fury said. Steve just looked to Fury and regained his composer. “Sorry, Sir.”  
“Don’t be Rogers,” Fury said as he turned to watch Mark walk away. “That is one of my dearest friends. I am glad to see him finally happy with someone,” Fury stated.   
“Thank you, sir,” Steve said.   
“I did notice it has been a while since you stopped in to see Winter Soldier though Rogers,” Fury said. Steve held back his expression. He did not think Fury would notice Steve seeing Bucky in the past. He shouldn’t be surprised Fury knew about the whole thing. After all, Fury told Steve when Mark went to see Bucky.   
“I found some closure, sir. I didn’t need to see him anymore,” Steve explained.   
“And what closure would that be Rogers?” Fury asked.   
“Sir, you are asking very personal questions,” Steve said.   
“When it comes to one of the people I consider a friend, I will make it personal, Rogers. Now, what closure did you find?” Fury repeated.   
“I guess…” Steve began but was uncertain how he could form the words. “He will always be this way now. I can’t expect him to apologize or realize what he has done to Mark or me. I gave up trying, sir,” Steve confessed.   
Fury nodded. “Sorry, you had to go through that Rogers. He is gone beyond hope right now. The doctors say he is stuck in his obsessions. He keeps talking about revenge against you and Mark. I need you to make sure that will never happen.”  
“Of course, it won’t. Bucky is locked in here, there is no way he could get out,” Steve said.   
“One would hope, but with everything we have seen, nothing is impossible,” Fury stated. Steve knew Fury was right. Just within the last year, Steve saw Asgard, Mark’s power, artifacts which threatened Mark’s life, Loki taking control of Mark, and even coming back to life thanks to Mark. Steve understood completely the impossible wasn’t out of the question.   
“Also, tell Stark I am still waiting for an invite to the wedding,” Fury stated.   
“Sir?” Steve said.   
“I know the wedding is being planned, and Stark still has not sent an invite. Tell him I expect one soon,” Fury told Steve.   
“I will let him know,” Steve said with a smile.   
“Good,” Fury said as he began to walk away. “Oh, and Rogers,” Fury said as he paused and turned.   
“Yes, sir?” Steve asked.   
“Don’t be too tough on Mark. He is finally figuring out the whole mortal thing and finding his place in the world. He didn’t know anything other an being an assassin. He has you but give him time to figure out other things. I don’t want to hear about you two fighting again,” Fury said.   
“Sir, you’re getting into the personal again,” Steve said.   
“I don’t want to hear about you two fighting, Rogers. You understand?” Fury said.   
“Um… Yes, sir.” Steve said.   
“Good. I will see you later I have a few meeting to attend,” Fury said as he continued down the hall. Steve felt scared knowing he had to worry about Fury being in his personal business. Steve did not know how much Fury did worry about Mark. He never did know how deep their friendship went. Now Steve knew it was a deeper friendship than he suspected. Steve began to walk toward the elevator, and he hit the button.   
“Steve!” a voice cried out. Steve turned to see Maria running over. “Steve, I wanted to apologize about… earlier.”  
Steve looked at Maria. “Apologize for what, Maria?” Steve asked.   
“About creating the whole…thing. I didn’t mean to make it so awkward for you and Mark. I just didn’t know how to handle that. I just thought we had something years ago. I thought we still would too,” Maria explained.   
“Maria I understand. I never meant to hurt you. I just did what I thought I should do in the time I lived. I accept the apology. I don’t want it to be bad for you, especially if you want to get into Mark’s class. I know this was a big surprise to you as well. No one really knows about us being together, or about me liking men really,” Steve said.   
“Thanks for accepting my apology,” Maria said. “And do you think I ruined all chances of ever getting into the class?”   
Steve smiled. “This apology is a good start. Mark doesn’t want to see me upset. He can manage anything but that. I say give it some time.” The elevator opened, and Steve stepped in it.   
“I think we should catch up, though, as friends. Especially if…you need someone to talk to since no one really knows,” Maria said as Steve stood there.   
“I would like that Maria,” Steve said. “I will talk to you later.”   
“See you later, Steve,” Maria said as the doors closed. Steve felt better about the situation now. He always felt better knowing Mark declined a mission to see him more. Steve felt the smile on his face grow, and he didn’t care who saw it. All Steve cared about was he would see Mark more.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
Tony  
Tony was soldering the circuits in the wrist cuffs for Mark. Mark asked if Tony could make some sort of device which would form weapons in his hands much like his powers did. Tony always liked integrating whatever Stark technology he could into the Avengers weapons, and he took pride in the fact this was the only piece of equipment Mark asked him to do which Andrea couldn’t. Tony made cuffs for Mark before, but the only weapon he could make was throwing knives with the cuffs. Mark hoped Tony would be able to allow him to make any of his weapons based on his hand gestures he would do when he formed the weapons before. Tony was up for the task and felt he was finally able to finish his work.   
Mark sat there watching Tony work on the cuffs. It was a different vibe sitting in the Stark Tower lab and not the Avenger Mansion lab. The space was still just as big but just felt different. Tony saw the Stark Tower lab as his lab, no one else’s. He would not allow anyone in his lab, other than Andrea. Mark always found his way in every time, and not even Jarvis could figure out how Mark bypassed the security system. Tony gave up trying to figure it out since Mark only came into the lab to see the progress on his tools. Mark never spoke much when he sat there and watched Tony work. Tony enjoyed this about Mark. Mark would spend his time reading, relaxing on the couch, talking with Andrea and laughing, or just enjoying Tony’s company. This is why Tony thinks he and Mark understand each other so well. Mark knew when Tony wanted to talk he or if he wanted to work. Tony enjoyed the company. Mark would bring coffee for Tony, and sometimes food when Andrea asked Mark. Tony never minded Mark in the lab, and sometimes forgot Mark was even there. But today, Tony had a lot on his mind to talk about with Mark.   
“Finished, I think?” Tony said.   
“Should we give it a test run, or do I risk losing a limb if I do?” Mark asked.   
“You won’t lose a limb…I mean the probability of you losing a limb is very low, nothing is impossible,” Tony said.   
Mark glared at Tony, “You learned that from Andrea. Sometimes I believe in six impossible things before breakfast.”  
“I know she loves Alice in Wonderland,” Tony said.   
“So there is a chance I could die, wonderful,” Mark said putting on the cuffs. “They feel light. I think lighter than the last ones. Are you sure they have the material in them?”   
Tony walked over and turned the cuffs on, “They are using the same technology my Iron Man suit. So the metal will fold out and make the weapons. The Sword will be thicker metal than the daggers, but it should hold about fifty daggers and one sword in each cuff.”  
“Huh, so now I have to teach my left hand the motion of summoning my sword and learn to fight with twin blades,” Mark said.   
“I thought you mastered all weapon techniques?” Tony said mocking Mark.   
“I did, just pointing out a flaw in your design is all,” Mark said as he took a step back. Mark made the motion he always did to form his sword in his hand. The cuffs brought down the metal and folded into one another making a sword in his hands. Mark lifted the sword and swung it a few times.   
“It’s just heavy enough and feels durable,” Mark said.   
Tony walked over and grabbed a piece of wood and looked at Mark, “Think fast,” Tony said throwing the wood. Mark sliced the wood twice before it hit the floor.   
“This is a sharp blade, but I guess I am a little rusty. I only sliced it twice before it hit the ground,” Mark said.   
“You sliced it twice?” Tony asked looking at the four pieces of wood. “I would say your speed is fine.”  
“I should be able to slice it three times with just my human capabilities. But I will get there. It’s a new sword and a new feel. It takes time getting used to it,” Mark said.   
“And how are you getting used to it? Being fully human I mean,” Tony said. Mark looked at Tony and then smiled.   
“You are getting at a question about Steve, aren’t you? What’s the question and does this steam from your worry or Andrea’s?” Mark said.  
Tony sat down at his desk and leaned back. “Both I would say. Just wondering how you guys are doing. Steve told Andrea and me about the fights. And then Steve told me how it's been after the fights. I told him you are getting used to everything.”  
Mark gestured his hand and made the sword fold back into his cuff before taking a seat. “And what did he tell you about the fights?”   
Tony reached for his coffee and took a sip. “Nothing close to how it was when he was dating Bucky. He feels dumb half the time when he does get angry. I told him to cut you some slack, but Mister Perfect just misses you I guess.”  
Mark smiled, “He isn’t perfect when he is just Steve. That’s what I like about him. And yeah, he doesn’t like I take many missions, teach at S.H.I.E.L.D., fight on the Avengers, and am helping with the wedding. He sees less of me now, but isn’t that life? I guess I am still getting used to the idea of having a shorter time frame than I did before.”  
“Shorter time frame?” Tony asked.   
“I lived for over a hundred years remember. I don’t think of things passing quickly. But now I think back a to over a year ago I didn’t know any of you. I wasn’t with Steve, he was with Winter Soldier. Time does really fly when you are mortal,” Mark said looking at Tony.   
“Curse of being human I guess. But the best part is making the most of that time. A wild phase if you will and realizing what is important later on,” Tony said.   
Mark made a face at Tony, “And were you stuck in the wild phase? You lived in that for a long time.”  
“I may have been, but now I am not. So Steve decides to fight instead of sex when he misses you?” Tony asked.   
Mark laughed, “You say it like Steve would use sex as a weapon against me?”   
“Why not?” Tony asked. “When I need to go off on a trip for Stark Industries, Andrea and I miss each other. The only difference is we have wild sex when I get back instead of fighting.”  
Mark held up his hand to pause Tony, “Gross.”   
“I guess not everyone is as lucky as Andrea to enjoy sex with Tony Stark, I see why she would miss it so much,” Tony said with a smug look.   
“Weren’t you the one to pounce on her and beg for it when you last came back from California?” Mark asked.   
Tony almost fell in his chair when Mark asked that.   
“Yeah, she tells me everything. Be warned,” Mark said. Tony laughed.   
“Well, we are still worried about you two. Steve does know you are listening. I mean you gave up that mission to spend more time with him,” Tony said.   
“He told you?” Mark asked.   
“That and I heard Clint bragging about the big mission he was going on as a career move in S.H.I.E.L.D. Tough to keep that man shut about anything,” Tony explained.   
Mark leaned forward and looked down. “I did give it up. I don’t really care about smart moves within S.H.I.E.L.D. I like being a teacher, and I like being part of the Avengers. I couldn’t give up my assassin life, that’s why I take the missions. But now I can see myself giving all that up for Steve. Saying no to the mission wasn’t a difficult choice.”  
“And then Maria came into the picture,” Tony said.   
Mark looked up at Tony smiling. “Damn, I forget Andrea tells you everything too.”  
“She sure does,” Tony boasted. “So not a fan of her I take it.”  
“In what sense? As an agent or as the dumb bitch she has been?” Mark asked.   
Tony laughed. “Both I guess?”   
“She is a fair agent, but she is arrogant in her talent. She wants to be in my class, but she needs to build her skills up. She is too headstrong and wants to complete the mission on her own. I read her file, she is not a team player and only focuses on her strengths. She needs to learn her weaknesses and listen to others on a mission. As for the bitch she is, I don’t know. I guess Andrea told you we both have a bad feeling about her. I don’t know her whole history with Steve. I know she didn’t know about Steve being gay which was a bit of a surprise,” Mark explained. Then Mark let out a sigh and leaned back on the couch.   
“Not much to say about their history. Maria was a young agent in S.H.I.E.L.D. who swooned over Steve. Steve, being the gentleman he is, couldn’t say no to her. He tried dating her but was miserable. That’s how he told me he liked men. He was depressed and didn’t know what to do. He never did anything with Maria, but you could tell he was not himself. It took him a while to break it off with her, and then months later we found Bucky. I thought it would be good for Steve when they dated, and he admitted to the team he liked men, but we know how that relationship ended. When he told the team, he liked men I just guessed everyone knew,” Tony asked.   
Mark looked up at Tony. “Are you still mad he never told you how bad Bucky was to him?”   
“Yes!” Tony answered. “That idiot. He thought he could handle it all on his own. Won’t deny the fact I may have helped Andrea on a few of her plans to kill Bucky.”  
Mark laughed. “I did think some of her plans were a bit too creative for her to come up with on her own.”  
Tony stood up and began to put back some of his tools. “You have been good to him and for him.”   
Mark looked up at Tony, “What do you mean?”  
Tony grabbed his soldering tools as he spoke, “You listen to him. You try and work hard for him. Most of all you put Steve before yourself. I don’t think Steve is used to having someone like that. He might be used to fights. Plus,” Tony said as he put his tools in the drawers, “it might be good for you to be jealous. Could lead to great sex between you two to solve everything.”  
“I forget your solution is sex to most problems,” Mark said mocking Tony.   
“And yet I am marrying the one I am sleeping with on a daily basis,” Tony said with a smile.   
“Hmm,” Mark began, “you raise a good point.”   
“Wow, first Andrea and now you. I seem to be winning all around with points and facts,” Tony boasted.   
“Don’t push it. Statistically…”  
“I am bound to be right at some point. I know Andrea said the same to me,” Tony said.   
“But two points against the both of us so close together is very impressive,” Mark said.   
“Thank you,” Tony said finishing putting away his tools. “So what are you going to do about Steve and Maria?”  
Mark stood up from the couch and walked over to grab a water bottle. “Andrea didn’t tell you about the other day then.”   
“The other day?” Tony asked.   
“Steve showed up at S.H.I.E.L.D. to surprise me. Instead, I find Steve talking to Maria, and she almost got my coffee from Steve. She was too friendly with him and almost threw up when she saw us kiss,” Mark explained.   
Tony nodded, “I can see why she is on your bad side. If anyone got between me and my coffee, I would want them dead too.”  
Mark laughed. “She kept being too friendly with Steve is all. Like she didn’t believe it. Then she saw us kiss and it looked like her brain stopped. Steve had to explain to her we were together and she didn’t know how to talk after that. She then kept asking about my class and kissing ass to try and get into the class. She also kept trying to ‘catch up with Steve.’ Guess she is also trying to take Steve from me.”  
“I doubt that,” Tony said.   
“That she is trying to take him from me?” Mark asked.   
“Well, I meant I doubt she could. As much as he has fought with you, he is still crazy for you Mark. He wouldn’t fight with you otherwise. And he finally can fight with someone without fear of getting hit or emotionally abused. He trusts you enough with that. Not to mention he is gay and I don’t see Maria taking him from you. He also admitted it all to her when he had so much fear in the past,” Tony said.   
“I still don’t like her,” Mark said.   
“Neither does Andrea,” Tony added.   
Mark looked at Tony and smiled.   
“Sir, I recognized an alert on the S.H.I.E.L.D. network. It went down but looks highly suspicious. I ran the camera feed, and three unknown persons are breaking into the database,” Jarvis said.   
“Put it on screen, Jarvis,” Tony commanded. The screen went up. Tony and Mark saw three unknown assailants in S.H.I.E.L.D.  
“I will take this one. You need to get ready for your dinner with Andrea,” Mark said.   
“You sure? We don’t know what they are looking for,” Tony said.   
“It's three assassin thieves. I see their markings. I know how to handle this. Call Steve and fill him in to meet me there. We can manage this. Your choices are to deal with three assassin thieves or an angry Andrea,” Mark said.   
Tony thought for only a second, “Jarvis get Steve on the line and fill him in on the situation. Tell him Mark will meet him there.”  
“Smart choice,” Mark said.   
“I know there are some battles I will not win,” Tony said. Mark laughed.   
“Alright, I will suit up and head over there. Tell Andrea I said hello and thanks for the cuffs,” Mark said as he was walking to the door.   
“He will be alright. He is still crazy about you, remember that,” Tony shouted.   
“Thanks,” Mark said.   
“And try to have make-up sex. It will do you both wonders,” Tony shouted as Mark left.   
“Sir, I contacted Master Rogers, and I wanted to inform you, Master Mark made a very obscene gesture as he left,” Jarvis said.   
“That’s just his way of showing his gratitude, Jarvis,” Tony said.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
Mark  
Mark arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D. and began to look around the building.  
“Where did they break in?” Mark asked himself as he looked for an opening somewhere. He finally found the opening on the ninth floor. A window pane was cut open for them to get in. Mark climbed the building and entered the same way as the thieves did.  
“A little cliché for thieves, but hey, I don’t judge,” Mark said as he walked down the hall. Mark looked around and followed the path the assassins took down the hallway. Mark remembered seeing them on the monitor walking down this hallway and cautiously went ahead. Mark looked around to recognize the floor. He never went to other floors, he mainly went to the basement. This seemed to be the communication floor. Mark rounded the corner and saw the vents open.  
“Of course. Why make my life simple?” Mark looked into the vent and realized the only way to find out where they went was to follow it. Mark jumped up to the vent and crawled through it silently. He finally made it to the elevator shaft.  
“Up or down?” Mark said as he looked in both directions. The elevator remained up in the shaft which Mark figured the only place they would go is down. Mark found the ladder on the side and jumped to it. He held the edges of the ladder and slid down to the bottom.  
“Least this floor I know,” Mark said. He found an opening in the elevator shaft and crawled through it. He slowed his pace as he saw the opening in the vent at the other end. When Mark neared the opening, he slowly looked over to see if the thieves were near the vent. Mark looked around and saw no one in the room. He jumped down from the vent and quickly went against the wall. Mark moved near the door and looked down the hallway. He saw light coming from the database and storage room. It looked like they were here to steal something: information from the database or something in the locked storage. Mark saw someone else at the other end of the hallway moving slowly near the door. Mark thought for a moment it was Steve, but it would be too quick for Steve to be here. Mark remained where he was until he could see who it was. Light shined on the person, and Mark saw Maria Hill sneaking around with her gun held.  
“No,” Mark said. Mark knew how to handle these assassin thieves. Maria didn’t know what she was getting into with the assailants. Mark quickly moved down the hall to try and stop Maria.  
Maria moved slowly and entered the room with her gun held, “Freeze, you are in an unauthorized zone. Give yourselves up.”  
“Oh cause that always works,” Mark said to himself as he ran down the hall. Mark heard the smoke bomb go off and gun fires. Mark ran into the room. He quickly found Maria and grabbed her. Maria struggled and tried to punch Mark. Mark blocked the punch and pulled her out of the room. As Mark pulled her around the corner, two knives came flying through the door and hit the wall.  
“Thank me later,” Mark said as Maria stared at the knives. Mark ran into the room, but the smoke was too thick to see anything. He stood in the middle of the room waiting for the attack. He sensed an attack coming and quickly dodged a blade swinging at him.  
“I miss my powers sometimes,” Mark said. Mark held out his hand, and the cuffs formed a sword in his hands. Mark blocked the attack from above but noticed only one of the assassins was fighting in the smoke screen. Mark looked around to see where there other two were while blocking the hits from the assassin. The assassin then backed away from Mark. Mark paused and looked around. He saw a small glowing ball on the ground.  
“Oh no,” Mark said, and he ran out of the room Mark grabbed Maria and ran with her down the hall.  
“Why are we running?”  
“Shut it,” Mark said. “You already entered a fight which you didn’t assess anything about. Just trust me we need to…”  
There was a large explosion when sent both Mark and Maria flying forward. Mark rolled on the ground and caught himself. Mark watched Maria tumble to the ground and land painfully against the wall. Mark found some satisfaction in the seeing that. Mark could hear ringing in his ears, but they got far enough away from the blast which it did little to stun him. Mark stood up and drew out his sword again. Mark looked around the area, he knew they were still here. Any assassin would take the chance to take him down, especially since he was human now. Mark stood there, waiting and listening. He was hoping he would sense the attack since he still heard the ringing in his ears.  
Mark turned quickly and blocked the incoming attack. Mark kicked the assassin, knocking the assassin into the wall. The second came around and threw three knives at him. Mark blocked each knife with his sword. Mark quickly formed a knife in his hand and threw it at the assassin. The assassin blocked the knife but did not see Mark coming in behind with the attack, cutting the assassin’s leg and punching the assassin, knocking him to the floor. Mark turned and waited for the third one. Mark saw Maria slowly begin to get up.  
“Stay down, I got one left,” Mark said. Maria ignored Mark or didn’t hear him. She stood up and held up her pistol.  
“This is not good,” Mark said. He slowly walked over to Maria to be ready to block any incoming attacks. Instead, Maria fired into an empty area where she thought the assassin was hiding.  
“I would save your bullets if I were you,” Mark said.  
“I can handle myself, I am an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” Maria defended herself.  
“You almost got killed twice already. You may be able to handle other soldiers, but you are not ready to handle assassins or take direction it seems,” Mark scolded.  
Maria ignored Mark and looked around. She fired two more shots which either missed or were another empty area.  
“If you don’t stop shooting I can’t tell where the assassin is hiding,” Mark said.  
“I will get him and show you I am good enough,” Maria said.  
“Right now, I am worried about how we will get out of here alive,” Mark said.  
“Don’t underestimate me,” Maira said.  
“Don’t underestimate your opponent,” Mark snapped back. Mark looked around trying to tell where the assassin was hiding. Maria fired another shot. The bullets kept throwing Mark off on locating the assassin. Maria then ran forward thinking she hit the assassin. Mark quickly grabbed her and shielded her. A throwing knife came flying in and hit Mark in the shoulder blade.  
“Damn,” Mark said. Maria looked at where the knife hit Mark and realized it was aimed at the center of her chest. Mark reached back and pulled out the knife. Mark looked to where the knife was thrown. Maria fired a shot in that direction.  
“You don’t know much about assassins, do you?” Mark said.  
“What?” Maria asked.  
“Throw knife, and move. No assassin would say in the same spot when they reveal their location,” Mark shook his head. Maria just looked at Mark as he scanned the room.  
“You have been doing this a while, haven’t you?” Maria asked.  
“Over a hundred years. And I don’t fail at missions. Your little stunt might break my success rate,” Mark scolded.  
“Sorry,” Maria said.  
“Save it,” Mark snapped back. Mark looked at one of the fallen assassins and noticed the other was missing.  
“Damn we got two now,” Mark said.  
“Two?” Maria asked.  
“You haven’t really been on an intense mission have you?” Mark asked. Maria remained silent. “Thought not.”  
Mark grabbed Maria and pulled her down as a knife came flying at them. “Got you,” Mark said as he ran forward with his sword blocking the next knife and kicking the assassin down. Mark went up to the assassin and punched him to knock him out cold. “Where is the last one?” Mark asked. Maria walked over to Mark and stood near for protection.  
“You are bleeding pretty badly,” Maria said.  
“Yeah, I know. I can’t really slow down now, though,” Mark said. As he looked around. Mark saw something moving on the floor. It was small and fast. He ran for it. It looked to be a little robot with a compartment. Mark realized it was the delivery system for the assassins. He threw his knife to hit it, but with his hurt shoulder blade, he missed. Mark ran fast to catch the robot, but it quickly ran up the wall and through the vents.  
“Well at least now I know which thieves were hired for this job,” Mark said disappointed he failed to stop the robot. Mark turned around and saw the assassin come in for an attack. Mark blocked the hit and jumped back. Mark felt the weight of the block in his wound. He stood there ready to attack. The assassin came in, and Mark blocked each attack waiting for an opening to strike back. The assassin jumped back and then came running forward to strike. Mark jumped to the side as a shield came flying at the assassin, hitting him in the head knocking him out.  
“Took you long enough to get here,” Mark said.  
“Sorry, Tony told me the news. I came as soon as I could,” Captain America said looking around. “Three assassins? They shouldn’t have given you so much trouble.”  
“They didn’t,” Mark said as he let his sword fold back into his cuffs. “She did,” Mark pointed at Maria Hill.  
“Maria, what are you doing here?” Captain America asked.  
“Hey Steve, I was doing some late night training, and I noticed someone in the hall. I tried to stop them, but I guess I got in the way,” Maria said.  
“Good way to put it,” Mark said as he walked passed Maria to the storage room. Captain America followed.  
“Did they get away with something?” Captain America asked.  
“Yeah, but I am not sure what. It was the blood brothers who were hired. We can’t trace who hired them through modern means,” Mark explained as he looked in the storage safe.  
“Why not?” Captain America asked.  
“They are a unique assassin group. They don’t work for money, they work for favors. We can’t trace a bank account or anything and I bet they would avoid using computers to log messages. Whoever hired them, owes them a big favor down the line,” Mark explained. Captain America nodded and looked at Mark’s back.  
“Creed, your hurt. How deep is the cut?” Captain America asked.  
“Five-inch throwing knife. Went in about three inches I think. So pretty deep. Think it hit the bone,” Mark explained.  
“How did… You never would get hit by something like that,” Captain America said.  
“That’s my fault,” Maria said as she entered the room.  
“I am sure it wasn’t…” Captain America began.  
“She is right. I took the hit for her. It was either three inches into my shoulder blade or her chest cavity aimed at her heart,” Mark said coldly. Captain America looked from Maria to Mark.  
“You saved her,” Captain America said.  
“And right now I am wondering why ” Mark snapped in pain. Mark looked through the storage but could not tell what was taken. The blast moved everything in the safe. “Damn, we are going to need to go through everything to find out what was stolen.”  
Captain America walked over to Mark. “Creed are you really questioning why you saved a fellow soldier?”  
Mark looked up to Captain America will anger in his eyes. “I am wondering why I saved a soldier whom could not follow orders and recklessly went into action without assessing the situation. If we are counting, I saved her three times. My morals are not to be questioned here, more her ability to follow orders are,” Mark said. Captain America took a step back while Mark shouted.  
“Sorry,” Maria began, “I just wanted to prove I could be in your class. I didn’t think this would happen.”  
Mark walked from the storage safe and passed both Captain America and Maria, “That is the problem, isn’t it? You didn’t think, or listen, or follow orders. Maybe now you can see why I can’t have you in my class.”  
Captain America walked over to Mark, “Creed, you don’t need to be so tough on her.”  
“I think you would be saying something different if I took that blade to the chest for her and not the shoulder blade. Or if I didn’t move us away from that blast grenade in time. If you came here and found me dead, would you be saying this?” Mark asked. Captain America remained silent. Mark could see in Steve’s eyes his memory of seeing Mark almost die multiple times. Captain America remained frozen by the memory. Mark walked up to him and spoke calmly.  
“I saw you die. I almost lost myself to my rage over your death. I don’t want you to go through the feeling of actually losing me, Steve,” Mark said.  
Captain America grabbed Mark’s hand. “I get it. Sorry, I wasn’t here sooner.”  
Mark squeezed Captain America’s hand, “Hey, don’t blame yourself for it. Never blame yourself for it if it does happen. If you do, I swear I will find a way to come back and kick your ass for blaming yourself.” Captain America let out a laugh, Mark smiled in return.  
“Is everything okay? I didn’t cause a fight did I?” Maria asked walking up to them.  
“No,” Mark said firmly, “But I need a report on your behavior and what you did wrong on Fury’s desk. I am going to need something to show him when I tell him I failed tonight. The world’s greatest assassin failed to stop three thieves. Fury will have a field day making fun of me for this one.”  
“I’m sorry,” Maria said again.  
“Sorry doesn’t return what they stole. Who knows what someone has planned,” Mark said as he let out a sigh. “Maybe Black Widow can find something out or Lucinda. I don’t know.”  
“Creed,” Captain America said as he put his hand on Mark’s shoulder. Mark winced at the pain. “Sorry,” Captain America said as he pulled his hand back. “It’s okay,” Mark said.  
“You don’t need to be so rough on her. She is a good agent. She did her best tonight,” Captain America said.  
Mark looked stunned at Captain America for defending her again. “Did nothing I say earlier mean anything?” Mark asked.  
“It did, but still…” Captain America began.  
“She is your friend, and you have a history. So you don’t want me to be so rough on her,” Mark said as he understood Captain America’s intentions. Captain America just looked over to Mark, telling Mark this was the reason.  
Mark laughed. “I can’t believe this. If it were you who was hurt because of an agent not following orders, I would be furious. But you still defend her,” Mark said as he walked in the direction of the elevator.  
“Creed,” Captian America said as he followed Mark. Mark drew out a knife and threw it right in front of Captain America to stop him. Captain America froze looking down at the knife. Mark had never acted this cold to Steve. He slowly looked up to see Mark still walking. “You’re hurt. We need to get you medical attention.”  
“I’m fine, Cap,” Mark said as he continued walking. Mark never called Steve Cap. Steve froze there not sure what to do. Mark got to the elevator and hit the button. He waited and didn’t turn around until he entered the elevator. He saw Captain America standing there not sure what to do with Maira right next to him. Mark hit the button for the ground level and turned his face.  
“Creed,” Captain America said as he ran over to Mark, finally able to move. The doors began to close as Captain America ran over. Mark was hoping the doors would close before Captain America could make it, but then he remembered something. Mark hit the door open button and stepped forward as the doors opened again. Captain America stopped right in front of Mark, standing silently. Mark stepped forward and looked up at Steve. “I may be mad, but I still love you, Steve.” And Mark stepped back in the elevator and hit the door close button. Mark watched as the doors closed with Captain America stunned standing there. The doors closed and the elevator began to move. Mark leaned against the wall of the elevator and felt the pain in his shoulder. He slid down and held his head down between his knees.  
“I could have died tonight, Steve,” Mark said. “I could have been gone because she couldn’t follow orders or listen. And you still defend her?” Mark wasn’t sure who he was saying this to. He felt he needed to hear it out loud to really understand the situation. Mark stood up, and the elevator door opened. Mark hoped to possibly see Steve there by some miracle, but there was no one. Mark walked out and walked to the door. He paused for a moment looking back. He only saw a trail of blood which he knew was from him. He hoped to see Steve. He opened the doors to S.H.I.E.L.D.  
“Well, I guess we will do this the old school way. Maybe Andrea and Tony can stitch me up,” Mark said as he walked out of S.H.I.E.L.D.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
Andrea  
Andrea woke up from a deep sleep. She stretched while in the bed and realized she was more awake than she hoped she would be.   
“Well, I guess I can see if Tony is up for round three,” Andrea said to herself. She and Tony were busy last night in bed, and she thought the exhaustion would help her sleep through the night. Her body said differently. Andrea turned over to rest on Tony but only hit the covers. Andrea sat up and looked around noticing Tony was not in bed.   
“Jarvis, Where is Tony?” Andrea questioned.   
“Hello, Ms. Andrea. Tony seems to be in the lab currently, should I tell him you are looking for him?” Jarvis responded.   
“You have got to be kidding me,” Andrea said as she got out of the bed and put on pajama bottoms and one of Tony’s Metalica t-shirts.   
“No Jarvis, I will deal with this, Thank you, though,” Andrea said.   
“My pleasure, Ms. Andrea. Let me know if you need anything else,” Jarvis said.   
“I will let you know if I need to find a place to hide a body later, Jarvis,” Andrea said.   
“I have a surprisingly long list of suggestions I saved for such an occasion,” Jarvis said.   
“Joking Jarvis…” Andrea paused as she was walking out of the room. “I hope you are as well.”  
“Ms. Potts always asked for a listed when she lived here. It is from her database,” Jarvis said.   
“Well Tony dodged a bullet,” Andrea said walking out of the room.   
Andrea was upset. She could not believe Tony was working in the lab after a night spent with her. Did he not get enough? Was he just rushing to get to work in the lab? The only acceptable answer Andrea would take was that it was so amazing Tony came up with a way to solve one of the great problems in the world. Or He bought her a Yorkie, which all would be forgiven then.   
Andrea walked through the living room and in the direction of the lab. She was ready to make Tony feel horrible for leaving her alone in the bed, especially since she was looking for round three. Andrea slipped on something on the floor. She caught herself on the wall and made a small yelp as she did. Andrea looked down and noticed the liquid on the floor.   
“Blood?” Andrea said as she looked down and noticed a path leading to the lab.   
“Okay now I am worried,” Andrea said as she walked to the lab avoiding the other drops of blood on the floor. Andrea entered the lab and saw Mark sitting there with his vest off and his back to Tony. Tony seemed to be doing something to Mark’s back. Andrea walked into the lab.   
“What the hell is going on?” Andrea asked. Mark and Tony looked up to see Andrea looking both angry and concerned.   
“I told you it would be less than a day before she finds out,” Mark said.   
“You were right. I still think I made the right choice in not waking her,” Tony said as he continued to work with a needle and medical wire.   
“Wake me about what?” Andrea said as she walked over to Mark and Tony. Andrea looked at Mark’s back and noticed a half way stitched up the wound. Andrea put her hand near the wound on Mark’s back and studied it.   
“Jesus, you didn’t,” Andrea said.   
Mark looked away which gave Andrea her answer.   
“But Tony said there were only three intruders. You never get hit like this,” Andrea said as she stepped forward and looked at Mark’s face. “That looks bad but how bad is your ego hurt now?”   
Mark looked up when Andrea asked the question.   
“I am glad you asked that. I have been wondering the same thing. You said very little about this wound other than you needed me to patch you up,” Tony said. Andrea looked at Tony and then at Mark. “Wait you didn’t even tell Tony how you got this?” Andrea questioned.   
Mark took in a deep sigh. “Yes my ego is hurt, I didn’t tell him because I didn’t want to add more to my anger about the whole night.”  
“Well guess what?” Andrea said as she pulled up a chair and took a seat. “You are going to tell us.”  
Mark hung his head down low as Andrea sat there waiting patiently, and Tony worked on the stitches.   
“Fine,” Mark finally said.  
“Good, now spill,” Andrea demanded.   
Mark retold the story to Tony and Andrea. Mark put in every detail he could remember from the event and Andrea could understand more and more why his ego was hurt. Mark ended the story with him arriving here and Jarvis waking Tony up to provided medical attention.   
“Wow,” Andrea said as she sat there taking in all the information. “So you know which group of assassins it was?”  
Mark looked up, “The blood brothers, which means they will soon be bragging about how they hit Mark, leaving him wounded. The world’s best assassin taken down because he decided to protect an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., who wouldn’t follow orders and acted recklessly. Worse, I have Steve defending her because he felt some sort of connection to her in the past.”   
“Blood Brothers huh,” Andrea said ignoring Mark’s anger toward his ego being hurt. “This is bad. Someone is going to pay them back with a big favor. Breaking into S.H.I.E.L.D. is not something any assassin wants to do.”  
“I know. Only another option is the favor had to do with something they stole. But I had no way of telling what was taken,” Mark said. Then Mark winched as Tony poked the needling into Mark’s skin to stitch him up.   
“Almost done. I had to do some work on this since the wound is deep. Luckily I have some practice doing this,” Tony said.   
Andrea glared at Tony, “Tony, why do you have so much practice?”  
“It was before we met, don’t worry your pretty little face. I would rather fix myself up than go to the hospital. Luckily I haven’t needed to in some time,” Tony said as he cleaned the area to work again.   
“Good,” Andrea said as she looked at Mark. Mark looked hurt for many reasons right now.   
“So what hurts the most?” Andrea asked.   
Mark looked up and then slowly looked back down, “My ego hurts the most. Then the situation with Steve hurts next. The wound I am dealing with as expected.”  
Andrea sighed and leaned back in her chair. “I figured as much. So what’s the deal with you two now? I thought things were getting on the right track. And then Steve goes and defends Maria for acting reckless and you being upset you took a hit for her which saved her life. Does that sum it up?”  
Mark smiled as he looked up, “Pretty clearly. Don’t know what is up with him lately. I thought things were good as well. This threw something else into the mix when Maria came along. I almost felt like Steve didn’t even remember what it was like to almost lose me. Like he expected my healing powers to come back and make everything fine.”  
Andrea nodded when Mark spoke, “Don’t know, only Steve does, though. Something clicked when he came running for you when you were in the elevator.”  
“Yeah, I am still made at him. But still, love him. I think once my ego is not bruised anymore I will be better,” Mark said.   
“Your ego is almost as big as Tony’s, might take a while for something like that to heal,” Andrea said.   
“Hey,” both Tony and Mark said at the same time. Andrea laughed and stood up from the chair. “I will get you some water.”   
“Thanks,” Mark said.   
“Can you get me some, too. I have been working on this for a while,” Tony shouted.   
“Nope, you left me alone in bed. You shall suffer through dehydration for that one,” Andrea said as she walked out of the room. Andrea walked over the refrigerator and grabbed two water bottles. She heard the elevator open and looked to see who was walking through, but she already knew who it was.   
Captain America came rushing through the elevator and walked into the living room looking around.   
“You might want to slow down a bit, he is getting stitched up right now,” Andrea said as she grabbed a cola and a third bottle fo water.  
Captain America pulled the cowl from his head as Andrea walked over to him. She could see the worry and distress on Steve’s face as she handed him a water bottle.   
“So how bad is he hurt?” Steve asked as he took the water bottle from Andrea.   
“Well, it all depends on what you mean. Do you want to know about his ego, back, or heart?” Andrea asked as she sat on the couch. Steve slowly sat down on the couch next to Andrea.   
Steve had taken a drink of water before he spoke. “So I messed up pretty bad.”  
Andrea opened her cola and drank from it. “Yup, you sure did.”  
Steve looked down and his bottle of water. Steve looked to be thinking for a while before he spoke. “I don’t know. I thought it over, and he should be mad at me. He was right. I… I just know I messed up. I don’t know how to fix this one.”  
Andrea stood up and grabbed Steve to pick up him. “Well, for starters you can tell him that. And let him be mad, he will get over it. Warning though he is pretty pissed.”  
“Warning received,” Steve said as he stood up and followed Andrea. Andrea and Steve walked to the door when They saw Tony walked up first. Tony looked up, “I wondered where you were with our water.” Tony looked over at Steve and then to Andrea. “You sure it is a good idea to have them talk now?” Tony asked.   
“Have who talk?” Mark said walked behind Tony putting on his vest. Mark looked over and saw Andrea and Steve standing there. Mark put on his hood and grabbed the water from Andrea’s hand. “Thanks for the water.” Mark began to make his way t the elevator.   
“Mark, wait!” Steve said as he followed Mark. Tony went up next to Andrea and grabbed the water from Andrea.   
“So will this be us watching a National Geographic of the ritual fo two Avengers making up or more like when Animals Attack?” Tony asked. Andrea looked up and shrugged her shoulders. “It is kind of fifty-fifty at this point.” Andrea and Tony followed to see what would happen.   
Mark walked up to the elevator and reached up to hit the button, but Steve grabbed his arm. Mark slowly looked over at Steve. “Steve, let go of my arm.”  
“I am not letting you go until we talk,” Steve said.   
“That’s fine, but in case you forgot, I lost my powers, and you are holding my very tight because of your emotions,” Mark said. Steve gently let go, and Andrea could see the bruise already begin to form on Mark’s arm.   
“Jesus, doesn’t Steve have control of his strength?” Andrea asked Tony.  
Tony looked stunned as well, “I thought so, but I guess this has him completely off balance with his emotions.”  
Mark rubbed his forearm where the bruise was forming. Steve looked the most shocked by the sight of it. “Sorry, I just… Don’t want you to leave. You were right. It shouldn’t matter who it was there. I…I remembered how it felt when I almost lost you. I remember that pain. I don’t want to lose you ever.”  
Mark looked up at Steve as he spoke, Andrea could see he was taking in everything.   
“I don’t know why I defended her. I shouldn’t have. You are her superior, and she didn’t obey orders. More importantly, you got hurt protecting her and I… I should have been the one to bring you here. I should have made sure you were alright. I don’t want you hurt ever,” Steve said, and Andrea could see the pain in Steve’s eyes as he looked at Mark.   
Andrea took a drink from her cola, “This is getting good.”  
“We should have made popcorn,” Tony said standing next to Andrea.   
“Mark, I love you. I am messing up lately, a lot. I don’t know why…” Steve began but cut himself off.   
“Don’t stop now, you were getting to the good part,” Andrea whispered. Mark glared at Andrea, he heard what she said. Andrea put a hand over her mouth to mark she did not speak again.   
“I’m sorry, Mark,” Steve said again.   
Mark nodded and reached up to hit the button to the elevator. Steve looked at the doors opening, “Where are you going?” Steve asked.   
“Out. Don't wait up,” Mark answered and entered the elevator. Mark turned around and reached his hand to hit the button for the ground floor but paused to look at Steve.   
“I love you, Steve. I will see you later,” Mark said as he hit the button and to doors closed leaving Steve standing there looked at the elevator. Andrea and Tony watched Steve for a good minute as he stared at the elevator doors. Finally, Andrea and Tony walked over to Steve.   
“Well, that didn’t go to bad…” Andrea began and then she saw Steve with tears down his face.   
“No, that went bad,” Steve said. Andrea went over and grabbed onto Steve’s arm. “What’s wrong?”   
Steve leaned against the elevator door and slid down to sit. Steve sat there silently, and Andrea took a seat next to him.   
“What’s wrong Steve?” Andrea asked. Steve didn’t answer. Andrea looked over at Tony and Tony shrugged his shoulders.   
“He is angrier than he let you know,” Steve said to Andrea and Tony.   
Andrea grabbed Steve’s hand, “How do you know?”   
“It’s just a feeling I have,” Steve said.  
Steve took his hand from Andrea and folded his arms. Andrea leaned against Steve ad Tony took a seat next to Steve.   
“Any idea where Mark went?” Tony asked both Andrea and Steve. Steve shook his head. Andrea let out a sigh, “I might know.”  
Tony and Steve looked at Andrea waiting for an answer. Andrea leaned away as they both stared at her intensely. “It’s not difficult to figure out. His ego was really hurt. He is going to go find out what was stolen and probably hunt down the blood brothers. He is still an assassin remember. And he isn’t like Bucky, Steve. He is more upset about failing tonight than at you. He told us.”  
“That sounds like something he would do. Especially with how bad he looked when he came in,” Tony said.   
“Let’s not make Steve feel worse than he already does,” Andrea said. Tony looked over at Steve, who was still looking down with his arms folded. Tony slowly stood up. “I will get him a change of clothes and make sure the guest room is set.”  
“Thanks, Tony,” Andrea said as she sat there with Steve. Steve leaned aginst Andrea, and she hugged him.   
“So why do you keep messing up so much?” Andrea asked.   
Steve sat there for a long moment before he spoke. “I don’t know. I love him so much, Andrea. I don’t know what I would do if he were gone.”  
“Let’s hope that doesn’t happen. I have to manage with him being gone as well. Tony can’t work on helping the both of us collect our lives,” Andrea said with a smile. Steve let out a small smile.   
“Come on,” Andrea said standing up and helping Steve up. “Let’s get you to bed. Tony is already getting you clothes. It would be bad for you to be in the apartment alone tonight." And Steve followed Andrea to the guest room.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
Steve

No one had seen Mark in about a month. Steve began to see dust collect on Mark’s things in the apartment which was always a reminder that Mark was not around. Even though he was gone, Mark still remained in contact with everyone. Andrea was right, Mark was hunting down the blood brothers and finding out what they stole. The hit to his ego must have been larger than anyone could have anticipated. Steve worried Mark would not return when they moved back into the Avenger Mansion. Steve’s worry about Mark asking for his own room grew more and more as each day passed that Mark was not here. Steve couldn’t help it. Since the day Mark left Stark Tower, Steve felt Mark could never forgive him for allowing him to get hurt.   
Steve couldn’t sleep at night. He never really slept well when Mark wasn’t there in the same bed, but the nightmares were worse this time. Steve began to have nightmares of the times he thought he lost Mark. The vivid dreams were of when they were in the warehouse. Steve would always wake up when he heard Mark say he was sorry and his eyes closed. It was an image Steve hoped to forget, but he never could stop his nightmares from making him relive that event.   
Steve sat in the apartment and looked around. He wanted Mark home. Steve wanted him here with him, and there was nothing he could do right now to bring him back. Steve knew if he went looking for Mark, Mark would be angry Steve was trying to stop his mission. Even Andrea began to worry about Mark more when he was not around to help plan for her wedding. Steve tried to help where he could, but he wasn’t Mark and didn’t know what would be best for the wedding. Instead, it was about Andrea and Steve making sure each other were okay.   
Tony stepped in where he could, but Andrea was right. Tony couldn’t manage both of them being a mess, and Mark was only gone on a mission, not gone for good.   
Steve picked up his phone and looked at his favorite picture of Mark and him. Steve wondered how he could fix this. Mark was gone because of his bruised ego, and Steve did not know if Mark was still angry with him. He didn’t know why he kept messing up, and Andrea tried to help him figure it out, but no answer ever came. Steve just felt his heart empty with Mark gone and he knew he couldn’t stay in the apartment any longer.   
Steve’s phone lit up, and he looked to see it was a message from Mark.   
“Coming back today. I need to stop by S.H.I.E.L.D. first, though. See you soon. I still love you, don’t forget that.”  
Steve read the message about four times and then held the phone close to him. He would always get those reminders from Mark. No matter what, Mark would remind Steve that he still loves Steve. Steve got up from the bed and got dressed. If Mark was going to go to S.H.I.E.L.D., Steve was going to meet him there.  
Steve dressed in his casual clothes and saw his phone light up again. It was from Andrea. 

“Did you get a message from Mark? He is coming back today! Kick his ass for leaving me to do all the wedding planning by myself for a month!”  
Steve laughed at the message from Andrea. He wrote back a reply.   
“I think I have already messed up enough to do that. I did get a message. I am going to S.H.I.E.L.D. to see him.”  
Steve put his phone in his pocket and left the apartment. Steve walked down the stairs and out of the building he felt his phone vibrate, and he pulled it out to read the message.   
“Natasha supports my statement, and she said if you kick his ass and say it is from us, you will be off the hook. And I don’t want things to be messed up either. Just tell him the truth about what you're thinking. He always listens to you.”  
Steve smiled as he read the message. He wrote a reply.  
“He does always listen to me. I never had someone take my words to heart and put them into action before. I am not used to it. I will talk later I am leaving now.”  
Steve put his phone away and began to walk to S.H.I.E.L.D. Steve had no idea what time Mark would be at S.H.I.E.L.D. Mark sent the message only minutes ago, it could be hours until he arrives. Steve didn’t care. He would rather wait at S.H.I.E.L.D. for Mark than to sit and wait in the empty apartment and be reminded of everything.   
Steve didn’t pay attention to the scenery or the people as he walked down the street. He was focused on his thoughts and his worries. He didn’t know if Mark was still mad at him. He didn’t know what he would even say when he saw Mark again. He was angry as well, Mark left for a month. Steve knew it was more about the mission than Mark’s anger. Mark sent the first message to everyone the next day after he left Stark Tower. He never left Steve out of the loop. At least this way he felt comforted Mark still wanted to talk to him. Steve felt the full force of not having Mark around. He hated himself more about not siding with Mark about Maria that day. If not having Mark physically around felt this bad, Steve did not want to know what it would feel like if Mark was truly gone.   
Steve arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D. and walked in the doors. Steve walked to the elevator and thought for a moment where Mark would go to when he arrived. Steve thought of two options, which was the basement or Fury’s office. Steve decided on the basement since it was much easier to wait there than it was having Fury stare at him while he waited in his office. The elevator opened, and Steve stepped in and hit the button for the basement.   
Steve looked around the elevator and thought back to the day the assassins broke into S.H.I.E.L.D. Steve should have chased after Mark. Steve should have been the one to take him to get medical attention. Instead, he stood there not knowing what to do with Mark and Maria, and he let Mark go to Stark Tower on his own.   
The elevator arrived on the floor, and the door opened. Steve entered the hallway and decided he would wait near the elevator. It was his best option to catch Mark as he arrived on the floor. Steve saw a bench not far from the elevator and went to it to sit down. He waited there and just looked at the elevator hoping each time it opened Mark would walk out of it.   
Steve couldn’t tell how long he sat there waiting. To Steve, the wait felt like forever. Every time Steve checked the clock only ten or fifteen minutes would pass. He already waited an hour there and did not know how much longer he would need to wait.   
“Well if it isn’t one fo the lovebirds,” Steve heard from the side. Steve turned to see Fury walking down the hall.   
“Director Fury,” Steve said.   
“I am glad I see you here. I was wondering if you could tell me why my best teacher for the elite class has not shown up for about a month. I guess you two lovebirds made up and have been busy on a honeymoon of sorts,” Fury asked.   
Steve looked down as he answered Fury’s questions. “Mark has been gone hunting down the blood brothers. He wanted to know who requested the item to be stolen from S.H.I.E.L.D. He left the night of the incident. I haven’t seen him since then.”  
Fury sighed as he held the bridge of his nose. “That man of yours always does this.”  
“Sir?” Steve asked.   
Fury took a seat next to Steve. “Rogers, I have known Mark for about twenty-five years. I know his ego was bruised, and he needs to do what he needs to build it back up. I thought I told you to make sure you treat him well?”   
Steve looked away from Fury and down to his shoes. “You read the report about that night, didn’t you?”  
“I am the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and my facility was broken into that night. Of course, I read the damn report. More so, I want to know why two of my Avengers couldn’t stop three thieves from taking something,” Fury said firmly.   
“What did the report other reports say?” Steve said worried about what Mark wrote.   
“Nothing bad in yours or Mark’s reports. Actually, the only ones who put details about the fight between you two were yourself and Agent Maria Hill. I found this curious,” Fury said.   
“Mark didn’t write anything about it?” Steve asked.   
“So that confirms there was a fight. No, Mark didn’t write anything about it, he kept the report simple and to the point. Honestly, it may have been because he hates when I make him write reports. His way of getting the job done efficiently,” Fury explained.   
“So you know about the fight,” Steve said.   
“I know everything, remember. I don’t get what you’re so afraid of, though. You are Captain America. You faced worse things than a happy relationship. Least I would hope so,” Fury said.   
Steve thought for a moment and realized Fury may be right. Steve may be afraid of how well things worked with Mark. How Mark listened to Steve and always made an effort for him. Steve never had this before, and he might be scared of how much he really does care about Mark.   
“It seems I have struck a chord with you, good. And just so you know, he just stepped out of the elevator about a minute ago going down the opposite end of the hall,” Fury said. Steve looked up at the elevator and back at Fury.   
“I wasn’t joking, he is walking down the hall right now,” Fury said.   
“Excuse me, sir,” Steve said as he quickly got up and ran down the hall. Steve turned the corner of the hallway and saw someone in a blue hooded vest turn another corner. It was Mark and Steve needed to catch him. Steve continued to run down the hall and realized he was going toward the holding cells. When Steve turned the corner, he could see Mark running as well as he turned the corner. Steve was going to catch up to Mark.   
Steve rounded the corner but then saw no trace of Mark. He walked down the hall hoping to find something which could tell him where Mark went.   
“Damn!” Steve heard and then a loud bang sounding like someone punching a wall. Steve followed the sound and found Mark in one of the holding rooms with an empty cell. Steve knew this room, and he was confused as to why it was empty.   
Mark was looking around the room and noticed the camera. Mark jumped up and grabbed a device attached to the camera. Mark smashed the device in his hands. Steve watched Mark walk over to the holding cell. Mark examined the cell bars carefully and then pushed one. The bar fell over and revealed two more bars which fell with it. Mark kicked the cell walls out of anger.   
Steve then remembered who was supposed to be in this holding cell and began to walk backward out of fear until he felt the wall. Bucky was supposed to be held here. Bucky was out, and no one knew.   
Mark exited the holding cell room and ran down the hallway. Steve watched as Mark was running from him and then snapped back into reality. Steve followed Mark. Mark ran down the hall and stopped when he heard someone shout, “Creed! Steve!”  
“Steve?” Mark said, and he turned around and looked into Steve’s eyes. Steve froze there and did not even know who called out their names. Mark smiled at Steve. “Hey, I said I would come back home after I stopped by here. Why are you here?” Mark asked.   
“I am here because you said you would be,” Steve said as he ran forward and hugged Mark. Mark braced himself for the hug and held Steve.   
Steve didn’t listen to anything else going on around him all he said was “I missed you.” And he felt better there at that moment. Steve didn’t know how long he hugged Mark for, but he didn’t want it to end. He felt Mark pull him up.   
“Hey, I missed you a lot too, but I got to find Fury,” Mark said.   
“To let him know about Bucky?” Steve asked.   
Mark looked at Steve confused. “How do you know?”  
“I was following you when you ran down the hall. I know that’s the holding cell for him. I don’t know why I didn’t say anything, but I froze when I realized. You ran past me without seeing me,” Steve explained and began to turn red as he realized how embarrassed he felt.  
Mark smiled at that moment. Steve missed seeing Mark’s smile.   
“I missed how you turned red when you’re embarrassed,” Mark said. Steve felt his face grow warm, and he knew his face was much redder now.   
“There you guys are,” Steve heard as he looked over to Agent Maria Hill.  
Mark rolled his eyes and let go of Steve, “You two catch up, I need to find Fury.” Mark ran down the hall and turned the corner. Steve fought every muscle in him not to follow, but Maria was standing there staring at Mark as he left.   
“He doesn’t like me, does he?” Maria asked. Steve shook his head to answer. Maria sighed, “I am trying. I guess I am not someone he will ever see as a friend.”  
Steve put his hand on Maria’s shoulder. “Mark doesn't look for a lot of close friends. He keeps his circle small,” Steve explained.   
Maria looked up at Steve. “Was it tough for you to get close to him?” Maria asked.   
Steve then remembered that it was a little tough in the beginning. Mark was polite to him and Tony when they arrived at the Mansion. Steve was the one who shut Mark out, and it wasn’t until Steve actually spent time alone with Mark that he felt the connection.  
“I made it a rocky beginning. But now, Mark knows me better than anyone, and he brings out my real self,” Steve said. Steve then felt Maria resting her head on his arm. Steve slowly pulled his arm away. “Sorry, I just… Maria, I know we were something before, but now I am with Mark. I am sorry. I should have said something or been honest at the beginning, but I was scared.”  
Marie just looked up at Steve with disappointment in her eyes. “Can you at least tell me you liked me? I think I need that at least,” Maria said.   
“Maria,” Steve began, “Of course, I did. That’s why I asked you out. It just couldn’t grow more like it is with Mark and me. We can remain friends, but I should have never made you think there could be more, I’m sorry.”  
Maria just nodded at Steve. “I am sorry to cut this short, but I need to catch up to Mark,” Steve said. “Again, I’m sorry.” Steve left Maria there, and she watched as Steve ran down the hall. Steve could hear the yelling between Fury and Mark as he rounded the corner.   
“The Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. could not even keep tabs on one of his own prisoners. What are you running here? A daycare where they can just up and leave?” Mark shouted.   
“Sometimes it feels like a daycare with the Avengers working out their relationships and needing to manage your moody outbursts. You left because of some thieves whom you couldn’t stop and went chasing after them,” Fury shouted back.   
“And if I didn’t, how long until you realized Winter Soldier was gone? Another month? Say what you will for the reason I left but it should not have been me who found out he was gone,” Mark said firmly at Fury.   
“And I had to manage your soldier here whom almost fell apart with you gone. Not to mention the other Avengers, they are just as bad. You up and leave when you feel like it. You are not a solo assassin any longer,” Fury shouted.   
“Are we done yelling! I think I might lose my voice,” Mark shouted.   
“I think so,” Fury said calmly.   
“Good,” Mark responded. Steve never saw or heard Mark shout like that except for when he told Steve to go away after he saw him and Bucky back together. Steve was a little scared when he saw both Fury and Mark yelling at each other, he didn’t know who would win.   
“So what are we looking at?” Fury asked.   
“Tech from the outside. Someone helped him escape and did it for a big price. The Blood Brothers confirmed he made a deal with him. If they could help him escape he would get rid of something they both want to be gone,” Mark explained.   
“And what is that?” Fury asked.   
“Me and Captain America,” Mark said. Steve froze when he heard that Bucky wanted both him and Mark gone.   
“I get you, but why Captain America?” Fury asked.   
“Winter Soldier sweetened the deal when he asked for them to steal a weapon for him. He offered Steve for that weapon,” Mark explained.  
“So you know what was stolen from our vault?” Fury asked. Mark nodded. “Well spill man, we are all dying of old age including you now,” Fury shouted.   
“Remember that dagger I brought you months ago?” Mark asked.   
Fury’s eye went big when he remembered. “The one that wipes memories?” Mark nodded again.  
“Winter Soldier is out and has that dagger. He is targeting Steve and me.”  
Fury paced as he thought for a long moment. He then paused and looked at Mark. “So you got a handle on this, what’s the game plan?” Fury asked.   
“Those assassins I integrated won’t speak. They can’t now with broken jaws. I also locked them up. We don’t do anything for now,” Mark said.   
Steve was confused. They needed to do something. Steve stepped forward, “What do you mean we do nothing?” Steve asked.   
Mark turned to look at Steve. “Winter Soldier doesn't know we realize he is gone and that he has that dagger. If we send out an alert to others Agents, he could get wind of it. We need to act like we don’t know, it is our best plan.”  
“And we prepare,” Fury continued. “We prepare for when Winter Soldier shows himself and then we are ready. It is a plan. You will organize it with the Avengers?” Fury asked both Steve and Mark.  
“Yes,” Mark said.   
“No,” Steve said, and Mark turned to look at Steve when he answered. “Last time Bucky did something like this I almost lost you. I don’t want you to be put in danger again. We need to come up with a better plan.”  
“Steve,” Mark began, “ am an Avenger. I will be put in danger just like any other Avenger. We are both targets. We need to manage this as a team and not worry about just one person.”  
Steve looked at Mark when he spoke. Steve still felt differently but knew he would not win this argument. “Fine we will prepare the other Avengers,” Steve answered.   
“Good,” Fury said. “Now you two lovebirds get out of my building and stop fighting. I don’t want to see any more reports about it.” Fury began to walk away as he said this. Mark looked to Steve.   
“You wrote in the report that we fought?” Mark asked.   
Steve blushed a little, “No…” Steve tried to lie.   
“You are a horrible liar,” Mark said as he crossed his arms.   
“Okay, I did. Sorry, I thought it was important to know why you left without getting medically checked out here,” Steve said. Mark shook his head.   
“I still don’t like this plan. Bucky has been the closest in succeeding when it comes to killing you,” Steve said.   
Mark smiled. “We will be prepared this time. Least try to be. Right now, I want to head home. It’s been a long trip.”  
Steve grabbed Mark and pulled him in for a hug. “I missed you, a lot,” Steve said.   
“I can tell,” Mark said hugging Steve back.   
“I’m sorry,” Steve said.   
Mark pulled back and looked at Steve. “For what?”  
“For making you mad. For pushing you away. I know the answer to things you asked me before. I know why I messed things up,” Steve said.   
“Oh? You do?” Mark asked.   
Steve leaned forward and kissed Mark.   
“I was afraid. Afraid of how much I cared about you. I didn’t know someone could care for another person this much. I do, and I know you do too. I just didn’t know how to deal with someone loving me as much as I love him,” Steve said as he leaned his forehead against Mark’s.   
“You're stealing my move. I am the one who normally does that,” Mark said. Steve let out a small laugh when Mark said this.   
Mark looked into Steve’s eyes, “I forgive you,” And kissed Steve.   
“Can you not leave again for a month?” Steve asked.   
“Want me to take you with me next time?” Mark asked back. Steve nodded.   
“It will be a vacation next time for us,” Mark said as he stepped back. “Come on, let's head back to our apartment.”  
“Okay,” Steve said smiling.  
“By the way, was it Andrea or Tony who helped you figure that out?” Mark asked.   
Steve shook his head. “Neither, it was Fury,” Steve answered.   
“Now that,” Mark paused, “is scary to know.”


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
Tony  
Tony was looking over the reports on the progress of the Avenger Mansion. He was pleased with everything in the plans, and the building construction was ahead of schedule. The new mansion is going to be bigger and more advanced than the old one. Tony also put in a high-tech defense grid, so future attacks would not happen as often as they did in the months past.  
Tony was sitting in the living room of Stark Tower going over the plans. He heard the elevator ding, and he looked up from the plans to see who was entering. Tony could already hear Andrea speaking before he saw her enter. Tony then saw Mark and Steve follow her in suite.   
“You guys are back from wedding planning already?” Tony asked.   
Andrea paused and stared at Tony. “Tony the wedding is all set. We sent out the invitations weeks ago. We should start hearing back soon.”  
“I think Tony has been focusing on the new mansion construction and blocked out everything about the wedding plans,” Mark said as he took a seat on the couch. Steve sat down next to Mark and leaned on him.   
“So then what were you guys doing?” Tony asked as he stood up and walked over to the others.   
Andrea went to the refrigerator to grab a few sodas. “We were getting things for my bachelorette party. Mark has everything set to happen at the new Mansion in a few weeks. So I needed to get a cute outfit for the event.”  
Tony looked over at Mark and an exhausted Steve on the couch. “And you dragged those two along to help find an outfit. I don’t envy them,” Tony said.   
Andrea walked over and handed Mark a soda. Andrea put a bottle of water on the table for Steve, who looked like he was falling asleep against Mark.   
“This isn’t exhaustion from shopping. Steve is exhausted from being my personal bodyguard all day,” Mark said.   
Tony laughed as he walked into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. “Since when do you need a bodyguard?”   
“Since the day we confirmed Winter Soldier escaped. Steve is convinced he will strike soon. We got no word from Natasha or Clint about him working underground somewhere. I told Steve we are good to just go about our normal day, but he insists on being close. And being hyper-vigilant all the time wore him out,” Mark explained. Tony watched as Mark reached over and started to scratch Steve’s head. Steve moved to get more comfortable and was quickly asleep.  
“It looks like you guys did wear him out. I am surprised to see him so tired. This is a man who could easily run twenty miles without breaking a sweat,” Tony said.   
“He is just worried is all. I can’t be mad at him for that,” Mark said as he let Steve sleep. “I just wish he would realize I can take care of myself, and he doesn’t need to watch me twenty-four seven. I did well enough on my own for over a hundred years, I think I can manage from this point on as well.”  
“You don’t really have a good track record of managing so far,” Tony said taking a sip of his coffee.   
“You are one to talk. How many times did you fight on the brink of death when you first made the Iron Man suit?” Mark asked. Andrea glared at Tony waiting for the answer.   
“It has been a while since that has happened. I am guessing Fury is your source of information on this stuff,” Tony defended.   
“I have my sources, and a while in your world is what? A month?” Mark asked. Andrea glared harder at Tony.   
“Alright, I know when I am beaten. I don’t want to take the both of you on in an argument. Some battles are impossible to win,” Tony said holding his hands up in surrender. Tony walked over and saw the bag Andrea was carrying. “So what did you end up getting?” Tony asked.   
Andrea opened the bag, “The best shirt in the world.” Andrea held up the shirt, and Tony read it aloud.   
“My dream is to be a unicorn and a mermaid at the same time,” Tony paused for a moment after he read it. “I guess that is your ideal spirit animal?”   
“Yes!” Andrea squeaked, and she hugged the shirt. Tony laughed at Andrea’s reaction. “This is why I am marrying you,” Tony said. All three laughed, and Steve groaned as he turned to get more comfortable.   
“I guess we are a little loud for Steve’s liking,” Mark said.   
“Then let's move to the lab. Let him sleep on the couch,” Tony said as he led the way. Andrea got up first and followed. Mark moved Steve so he could sleep on the couch. Tony saw Steve grab Mark before he left the couch.   
“Don’t go too far off,” Steve said as he slowly squeezed Mark’s hand.   
Mark ran his hand through Steve’s hair. “You need to take it easy. I can manage on my own. And I know it is dangerous in the lab, Tony could blow it up at any time.”  
“Not funny,” Steve said.   
“I agree with Steve. I will let you know we are accident-free for about three weeks,” Tony shouted.   
“Try two days,” Andrea corrected.   
Tony looked at Andrea, and then he remembered, “Oh right, the malfunction on the repulsion system. I will let you know we are accident-free for about two days.”   
Mark laughed and looked at Steve. “You got to get some rest, this is wearing you out,” Mark said.   
“Who else will protect you?” Steve asked.   
“Are we chopped liver over here?” Tony asked Andrea. Andrea just shrugged in response.   
Mark kissed Steve on the forehead. “Get some rest.” Steve let go of Mark’s hand and got comfortable on the couch. Mark walked over to the doorway where Andrea and Tony walked into the lab.   
“Things seem to be better between you two,” Andrea said.   
“Since when have they been bad?”   
Andrea and Tony glared at Mark.   
“Listen, I will admit that wasn’t a good move to be gone for a month, but it was because of my bruised ego okay, not Steve. Things have been good, well other than Steve wearing himself out being my bodyguard. But I just accept it for what it is, no point in arguing things I can’t change,” Mark said.   
“I think it is because they are finally having sex daily,” Tony said.   
“That helps too,” Mark confirmed.   
“Told you sex fixes things,” Tony said in a smug way to Mark.   
“For once, Tony is right,” Andrea said.   
“Oh hush up you two,” Mark said.   
The three of them went to the table and sat down. Tony sipped his coffee as he pulled up plans of the Avenger Mansion on the screen. Andrea and Mark looked at the blueprints.   
“So how much longer until it is done?” Mark asked.   
“Only a few more weeks. The construction is ahead of schedule. So we all will be able to take a tour of it when it is finished before moving in.”  
“Good, so the Rave won’t be delayed. We can have it on the expected date,” Mark said as he leaned back.   
“You were serious about having it at the Avenger Mansion? Tony asked.  
“Could you think of a better place to have it? Besides, we all will be safe there. The property is huge enough. It will only be a weekend thing,” Mark said.   
“Weekend?” Tony asked surprised. “Like the entire weekend?”   
“You have been to a few raves I am sure,” Mark said back. “Weren’t the best ones all weekend long?”   
Tony thought for a moment. “You are right, that makes sense. So do you have a guest list?”   
Andrea pulled up the list on the monitor for Tony to see, “It is sad people replied quicker to the rave than the actual wedding,” Andrea said.   
Tony looked over the guest list for the rave. “Are you sure it will be safe having all these people at the mansion raving?” Tony asked.   
“So the X-men wanted to come. And we have a few other metahumans. Others are celebrities and well-known people of the city. Why not? It's going to be a fun time,” Mark said.   
“I am starting to get jealous I am only getting a simple bachelor party now,” Tony said.   
“We will send you videos of Steve at the rave if it makes you feel better,” Andrea said.   
Tony looked at the guest list. “I want video of Clint and Wolverine as well.”  
“Done,” Andrea and Mark said at the same time.   
Tony laughed at the idea of seeing those three at a rave. He wondered how Steve would manage at such an event. He was always introverted and hating parties. A rave is a party to get to know everyone and come out of your shell. Maybe it will be good for Steve.   
“Sir, we have some activity in the city,” Jarvis said on the speaker. Andrea and Mark looked up as Jarvis spoke, a habit they had looking for him in the ceiling.   
“What’s the situation, Jarvis?” Tony asked.   
“We have three large mechanized robots attacking the city. They seem to be from Dr. Doom. He once again is trying to destroy the city in the name of his nation,” Jarvis said.   
“Oh fun, robots… no offense Jarvis,” Mark said.   
“I am an artificial intelligence network wired through multiple parts of the city and keeping track of all communication for Stark Industry via satellite. I am no mear robot,” Jarvis snapped back.   
“I struck a nerve,” Mark said.   
“You sure did,” Andrea said. “Should I wake Steve?”   
“Let him sleep. I doubt he would be much help groggy and tired in the fight,” Mark said.   
Andrea looked at Mark, “You sure? He might be mad he didn’t know about this.”   
Mark looked at the screen, “Thor is in the area. Between the four of us, I am sure we can manage the robots.”  
“You know he will be mad at you, right?” Tony said.   
“Then one of you two wake him if you don’t want to see his wrath,” Mark said. Both Tony and Andrea looked at one another and then shrugged their shoulders.   
“Fine, we will suit up and leave soon. I will contact Thor,” Tony said.   
“Alright, let me go change,” Mark said as he left the lab. Tony looked to Andrea as she began to walk to where her suit was held.   
“You sure it is a good idea not to wake Steve?” Tony asked.   
“Mark offered you to wake him if you wanted. Mark is right, you didn’t see how ridiculous Steve was while we were out. He would jump whenever we saw a crowd of people just walk by, or when someone took a picture. I think Mark is right to let him sleep. Mark is an assassin and not a helpless child.”  
“I will trust your judgment,” Tony said.   
“Smart man,” Andrea replied as she went to suit up.   
Tony went over to the computer system. “Thor?” Tony said over the Comlink.  
“Greeting Iron Warrior. Did you see the giant metal creatures attacking the city?” Thor responded.   
“I did. I will be on my way along with Creed and Lucinda. We will take them down,” Tony said.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
Mark  
Mark ran down the streets to the scene of the giant robots attacking the city. Andrea ran beside Mark. They stopped, meeting Tony where he landed. Mark looked up to see the robots, all three shaped like giant craps.  
“Why is it always machines shaped like crabs. Is there like a building evil robots model kit for them to use?” Mark asked. Andrea shrugged her shoulders as her answer.  
“I think I have seen those kits in hobby shops actually,” Tony said adding to the joke.  
“Greeting friends,” Thor said as he flew in. “I attempted to destroy the crustaceans attacking the city. Their armor is tough to break through. We must find a weak point.”  
As Thor spoke and the four of them watched a laser gun come from the bottom of the robot and blast a building.  
“That’s not good, but could be a weak point,” Andrea said watching the building collapse.  
Mark watched the robots as they moved through the city. Tony also watched the robots and ran an analysis on their system to see if Jarvis could find anything.  
“Did Jarvis find anything on the robots?” Mark asked.  
“No, looks like the robots are hack proof unless you can get inside. Lead casing around them prevents us from hacking into the system. Not even Lucinda could break into their system,” Tony explained.  
“Iron Man doubts my talents,” Andrea said back to Tony.  
“Not doubting talents, just stating this is not a firewall but a lead wall which doesn’t allow any signal into the robots. Dr. Doom must have programmed them to just attack and sent them on their way. This will be tough.”  
“Well,” Mark said as he began to run forward toward the robots, “Guess we will have to do this the old-fashioned way.” Mark ran to the nearest robot and jumped to the leg. Mark quickly swung up the leg and landed on the top of the robot. Mark bent down and tapped the top of the robot.  
“Titanium. This would be easier if I still had my powers,” Mark said. Mark then pounded hard on the robot and put his hand on the surface to feel the vibrations. The robot moved slightly trying to remove Mark from the top of it. Mark stood up and began to run to jump off the robot. One of the legs spun around and swiped over the top of the robot. Mark saw the leg coming for him and jumped to avoid the swipe. Mark landed and ran to the edge of the robot to jump off. Mark jumped and grabbed the leg of the robot to help reduce the impact when he landed. Mark swung and landed on the ground. The laser came out from below the robot. Mark looked up at the gun. “Not good.”  
Mark ran and heard the blast then jumped to the side, the blast missing him. Thor came landing near Mark.  
“Assassin, are you alright?” Thor asked.  
“Thor the name is Creed. Keep calling me assassin, and I will call you lightning rod,” Mark said as he slowly got up. Thor laughed.  
“You always make the best jokes assassin. The God of Thunder compared to a metal pole,” Thor continued to laugh. Mark smacked the back fo Thor’s head, “Collect yourself, Thor. I found a weak spot in the metal.”  
Thor looked over to the robots after rubbing the back of his head from Mark’s smack. “You know how to break through the armor of the crustaceans?”  
“Yeah, we will need a strong hit, though,” Mark said.  
“How strong of a hit?” Thor asked spinning his hammer in his hand.  
Mark smiled, “A hit like a lightning rod getting struck.” Mark but his hand to his Comlink, “Lucinda where is your location and is Iron Man with you?”  
“We are handling the robot just a few blocks away from you. I guess from your tone you have a plan,” Andrea said.  
“Yeah but I am going to need you for it. Can Iron Man handle the robot on his own?” Mark asked.  
“Sure can, I am heading your way now. See you soon,” Andrea said.  
“Alright,” Mark said as he turned to the robot.  
“Do we wait for Lucinda to arrive to attack the crustacean?” Thor asked.  
“No, she will be here for part two, Thor toss me up to the top of the robot,” Mark said. Thor nodded and grabbed Mark’s arm. Thor spun twice, swinging Mark toward the robot. Mark flipped in the air and landed on the robot. Mark quickly worked by forming a throwing knife in his hand. Mark stomped on the robot and felt the vibrations and ran to the other end of the robot. Mark saw a leg coming to swipe. Mark slid under the leg and quickly got up to get to the other end. Mark stopped and stomped again and felt the surface with his hand. Mark jammed the dagger in one spot.  
“Thor, aim for the dagger when I jump off!” Mark shouted.  
“Alright, assassin!” Thor said as he flew up high.  
“The name is Creed,” Mark said as he ran. Mark jumped off the edge and rolled when he hit the ground to break his fall. Mark looked up and saw Thor holding his hammer up to summon a lightning bolt. Thor struck where Mark’s dagger was, and the robot staggered. Mark looked up to see Andrea run up to him.  
“What is Thor doing?” Andrea asked.  
“Making an opening for you,” Mark said as he grabbed Andrea’s hand and ran toward the robot. When they neared the robot, Mark let go of Andrea’s hand. “Wait here,” Mark said, and he ran ahead and stopped. Mark turned and readied his hands to help Andrea to jump higher.  
“I get what you mean now,” Andrea said as she readied herself. “Ready?” She asked.  
“Ready!” Mark shouted. Andrea ran forward and jumped landing in Mark’s hands, and he sent her flying up on the robot. Andrea landed on the robot and looked around seeing the hole made by Thor. Andrea held up her hand to her Comlink.  
“So gave me a way to show Iron Man not to underestimate my abilities, huh?” Andrea asked.  
“Exactly, you can hack it for sure this way,” Mark said over the Comlink.  
“I’m on it,” Andrea said.  
“Thor and I will head to the next Robot,” Mark said. “Meet us there when you take down that robot.”  
“Will do, I am already inside. It won’t take me long,” Andrea confirmed. Mark ran toward the third robot. The second, Tony was taking care of, and Mark could see Tony blasting at the lazy gun coming from the bottom of the robot. Mark paused to look at the gun. “It might be able to be overloaded,” Mark said out loud. Mark heard a blast come from the robot, and he quickly dodged the blast and took cover behind a car.  
“I need to try and overload that cannon. Maybe we can take these down quicker,” Mark said as he examined the cannon from this distance. Mark was calculating a way for him to overload the cannon. Mark then smiled as he heard someone approaching, Mark lifted his hand and caught the hand which was about to smack the back of his head.  
“You still make too much noise when you walk,” Mark said.  
“You couldn’t wake me up when this was happening could you?” Steve asked as he kneeled near Mark.  
“Well, you looked like you were having a nice dream. None of us had the heart to wake you up,” Mark said with a smile. Steve smiled back at Mark. “I was actually.” Then Steve’s face got serious, and he looked at the robot ahead of him.  
“So what is your plan?” Steve asked. Mark looked stunned at Steve.  
“Um, aren’t you the leader? I should be asking you that,” Mark said.  
“Well, you found a way to take down one,” Steve looked as one robot was falling to the ground. Mark and Steve saw Andrea jump from the top of the robot and strike a pose as she landed. “I guess you have another plan,” Steve said.  
“I am coming up with one,” Mark said as he looked around to the others. Mark held his hand to his Comlink.  
“Thor, change of plans. Head over to Iron Man and see if you two can overload the cannon. Captain America is here. Between him, Lucinda and me, we can take down the third robot,” Mark said.  
“So is Cap mad at us for not waking him?” Tony asked over the Comlink. Mark looked over at Steve. Steve looked calm and collected for battle.  
“He is fine. He is not upset it was your idea not to wake him, Iron Man,” Mark said with a smile.  
“What?” Tony shouted on the Comlink.  
“It definitely was your idea,” Andrea agreed on the Comlink.  
“I hate you both,” Tony said.  
“No you don’t,” Mark and Andrea said at the same time. Mark could see Steve laughing, breaking his serious demeanor.  
“I greatly dislike the both of you,” Tony shouted on the Comlink.  
Mark laughed as he looked over to the robot. He was planning to do the same things as before. “Lucinda, head over to us, Captain America and I will set it up,” Mark said.  
“On my way,” Andrea said.  
Mark looked at Steve. Steve nodded and followed Mark. Mark and Steve ran toward the robot. Steve ran ahead and turned to be ready to toss Mark into the air. Mark ran toward Steve and saw the laser cannon begin to lower and aim at Steve. Mark sped up, and Steve did not suspect the robot taking aim at him. Mark ran to the side and grabbed Steve’s arm to pull the both of them out of the line of fire. They both felt the blast and flew to the side tumbling to the ground. Mark quickly got up and felt a cut on his head. Mark touched his head and saw he was bleeding but only slightly. Mark looked to the side and saw Steve not far from him. Mark began to walk over to Steve when he heard a car explode from another laser shot fired by the robot. Mark turned to block himself from the blast. When the blast died down, Mark saw Steve was moved by that blast as well and knocked out. Mark ran over to Steve and shook him. Steve slowly woke up.  
“You alright?” Mark asked. Steve looked down and grabbed his leg. Mark followed Steve’s eyes and saw a metal shard from the car sticking through Steve’s leg. “Damn,” Mark said. Mark grabbed the shard and began to pull it out of Steve’s leg. Steve shouted in pain, and Mark pulled it completely out. Mark examined Steve’s leg.  
“Nothing broken, you’re lucky,” Mark said.  
“Just in immense pain,” Steve said as he sat up.  
“Can you stand?” Mark asked.  
“I think so,” Steve said as he began to get up. Mark helped him up. Mark could feel Steve’s hand grab him harder, and Mark turned to see the laser cannon beginning to take aim at them. Steve stepped forward to cover Mark readying for the blast.  
“We won’t both make it,” Mark said as Steve covered him.  
“Hopefully, you will,” Steve said. Mark knew Steve was hoping to protect him, but Mark knew the blast would take them both down. Mark looked around for anything. Then Mark saw Steve’s shield on the ground. Mark flipped the shield up and caught it. Mark turned it around and jumped in front of Steve as the laser fired. Mark was knocking back the blast and aimed it back at the cannon itself. The laser overloaded itself with the reflection back, and the robot blew up sending both Mark and Steve flying back. Mark used Steve’s shield to slide on the concrete. Mark coasted to a stop and got up to look around. Mark saw Steve rolling on the ground, and he quickly ran over to Steve. Mark turned Steve over to look at him. Steve looked up at Mark and smiled.  
“Is there ever going to be a time I am the one who saves you?” Steve asked.  
“Oh shut up,” Mark said breathing a sigh of relief as he leaned down to hug Steve.  
“You guys okay?” Andrea said running toward Mark and Steve.  
“Captain America is wounded but least we took down that robot,” Mark answered as he stood up from the hug. Andrea walked over to Mark and looked at the cut on his forehead.  
“Someone is building up his battle scars quickly,” Andrea said.  
“Shut your face,” Mark replied back. Andrea shoved Mark and went over to Steve.  
“How bad is it?” Andrea asked.  
“No broken bones, but a bad flesh wound. I will be fine in a few days, though,” Steve answered.  
“I miss accelerated healing,” Mark said as he touched the cut on his forehead.  
“Welcome to my world when I lived with you and your powers for five years,” Andrea said.  
“Point taken,” Mark replied. “Iron Man, how are you guys holding up?”  
“We took your idea and overloaded the cannon. We took it down. We heard a blast near you guys, is everything fine?” Tony replied.  
“Captain America is hurt, but otherwise, we are fine, We will need to take him for some medical attention,” Mark said.  
“Why not take me to Stark Tower to get patched up, that’s what you did?” Steve said. Mark made a face at him.  
“He is right, though,” Andrea agreed. Mark turned and made the same face at her. Mark then leaned down to help Steve up. Mark put Steve’s arm over his shoulder and helped him walk. Andrea walked next to them.  
Steve leaned his head against Mark’s shoulder as they walked. Mark rested his on top of Steve’s head.  
“I am happy to always be your little warrior,” Steve said. Mark bumped Steve’s head with affection.  
“What does that make me?” Mark asked Steve. Steve thought for a while as they walked to meet the others. Steve finally lifted his head and looked at Mark. “You always seem to be my protector,” Steve said. Steve then leaned forward and kissed Mark on the cheek.  
“What does that make me?” Andrea asked.  
“A pain in the ass to all of us,” Mark said. Andrea slapped him on the shoulder. Steve laughed. Mark looked at Steve and just smiled thinking he agreed, he is Steve’s protector.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10  
Steve  
Steve gathered some photos he had up on the shelf and put them in the box. Steve could not believe soon he would be able to move back into the Avenger Mansion. It had been about eight months since the tornado took out the old mansion. Steve felt bad Tony once again paid for them all to live in the mansion, but Tony was excited about the project. Tony, of course, wanted to make it bigger, better, in his own Stark style. Steve enjoyed what they had before, but he understood Tony wanted to make it more advanced for them all. Steve was just excited to finally be in the mansion and being a family again, and he no longer worried Mark didn’t want to live together in the mansion.   
Steve grabbed the box and limped to the living room. Steve did not know the extent of his injury until he went to the medical wing at S.H.I.E.L.D., and it took more than a few days to heal. Steve was going on a week of recovery. Steve sat down on the couch. Steve took the tape and made sure the box remained closed as he taped it closed. Steve looked around the apartment. He loved living here with Mark. Steve looked around the small one bedroom apartment and realized how much he would actually miss living here. Steve was home here. Steve always imagined this is how he would live with the person he cared about. Steve remembered the things in this apartment which stood out to him.  
Steve remembered all the good times. Steve even remembered the times he would get angry with Mark fro working so much at S.H.I.E.L.D. or be away helping with the wedding. Remembering all of this allowed Steve to see how much Mark listened to him. Steve smiled at how much Mark really did change things to be around him more. Steve grew closer to Mark, and he didn’t know that was possible. He never felt that way with Bucky after the years they were together. Not even a year later and Steve felt closer to Mark than anyone else. It scared Steve but also made him want to continue down the path with Mark. Steve lifted his leg on the coffee table to keep it elevated. Steve pulled out his phone and looked at the picture of Mark and him. Steve smiled. He hoped to always keep that feeling in the picture with Mark. He always wondered where the path would go for him and Mark. Steve looked around once more at the now packed up apartment, he felt happy knowing the path would continue down something better.   
Steve heard the door open, and Mark walked in. Steve put his phone down next to him and looked over at Mark and smiled. Mark carried boxes and stopped to look over at Steve. “Well you look like you’re in a good mood,” Mark said. Mark looked around and saw all the boxes in the living room. “Please tell me we are done packing. I find it hard to believe we have this much stuff.”   
Steve counted the boxes around them. “We only have seven boxes, and two of those are yours. Is it that much stuff?” Steve asked.   
Mark laughed. “I guess when I was used to living with just a bag full of everything I needed for so long, this looks like a lot to me. Glad to know you are the one with more stuff. Does this mean you are going to take the whole closet when we move into the mansion?”   
Steve stuck his tongue out at Mark. Mark smiled and walked forward to kiss Steve. “Glad to see you are your goofy self, again.” Mark softly put his hand on Steve’s leg. “How are you feeling?”   
“Still some pain when I walk, but much better,” Steve answered.   
“So if I am a distance away I can make fun of you all I want,” Mark said. Steve grabbed Mark by the shirt and pulled him close to him. Steve wrapped his arms around Mark holding him close.   
“I would like to see you try now,” Steve said.   
Mark gave Steve a look. “Challenge accepted,” Mark said as he poked Steve in his side. Steve jumped while still holding his grip and Mark continued until Steve let go to block the pokes. Mark got up and stood there in front of Steve.   
“You always have to win, don’t you?” Steve said.   
Mark leaned in and kissed Steve. “I am a sore loser, what can I say?”   
Steve smiled as Mark pulled from the kiss and went over to the boxes he brought with him. “So we won't be needing these?” Mark asked.   
“I need one more, but you got too many,” Steve said.   
“So you will be taking up most of the space in our new room,” Mark said, and Steve threw a pillow at Mark. Mark laughed when the pillow hit him.   
“I will bring these to Andrea and Tony. I need to get a few things anyway,” Mark said picking up the boxes.   
“You are going out again?” Steve asked.   
“I will be back. And I won’t be gone for a month or two, just an hour or two. I will be back. Need me to grab you something before I leave?” Mark asked.   
Steve looked over at the kitchen counter. “Can you get me my sketchbook and pencils?” Steve asked. Mark walked over to the sketchbook and passed for a moment.   
“You know, this would be a good opportunity for me to look through this thing. You wouldn’t be able to catch me,” Mark said.   
Steve sat up and looked shocked at Mark. “You wouldn’t dare,” Steve said firmly. Mark laughed and picked up the sketchbook.   
“You know I wouldn’t. I know what this means to you,” Mark said. Mark walked over and handed Steve the sketchbook. Steve took the book and pencils. Steve held the sketchbook close.   
“I know you wouldn’t. I leave this out so much around you. I know you are never even tempted to look. I just drew some important things in here recently,” Steve said.   
Mark leaned in close to Steve. “Oh? Sketching a new crush lately?”   
Steve bopped Mark on the head with the sketchbook and smiled. “No. Just something important I am working on is all.”  
Mark went to grab the boxes. “I hope to see it one day then,” Mark said as he walked to the door.   
“You will,” Steve said as he smiled.   
Mark put down the boxes and walked over to Steve kissing him on the cheek. “Love ya. Call if you need anything,” and Mark went to grab the boxes and left.   
Steve sat there smiling. He was happy where he was with Mark. Steve opened the sketchbook to the picture he was working on still. Steve grabbed a red colored pencil and began to draw. Steve was drawing a picture of Mark and himself. Steve was trying to draw a new, more recent picture of his favorite photo of Mark and him. Steve began to color in Mark’s hair. Steve missed Mark’s long hair. He loved drawing it and how it fell on Mark’s face. Mark’s hair always matched his mood he held in his eyes and smile. Steve was shocked when Mark came in with dark red, short hair. Everyone else loved the hair, but Steve was not used to someone dying his hair. Steve just missed the long hair.   
Steve looked at his sketch and realized he was enjoying the red hair on Mark more. Steve found himself coloring the hair in different hues of red and dark brown. Steve began to realize the red hair to match Mark, and best of all it brought out Mark’s smile. Steve looked at his drawing looking at how he captured Mark’s smile and his eyes. Steve looked for a long while at his drawing and smiled. He slowly turned the page to look at his old drawing. Steve looked for a long time at the picture he drew, it was the same picture he showed Andrea many months ago. Steve had thought for a long while before he reached for his phone. Steve turned the phone on and sent a message to Andrea.   
“Are you free tomorrow?” Steve sent to Andrea. Steve waited patiently for Andrea to respond. Steve just kept staring back and forth from the picture in his lap to the phone, waiting for Andrea to send a message back. Finally, Steve saw his phone light up.   
“I finished packing. Tony still has a lot to pack, but I told him I was packing today, and what he doesn’t get done today with me he is on his own. He has more clothing than I do! Why? What’s up?” Andrea wrote.   
Steve began to send the message to Andrea.   
“I want to go to a store tomorrow, and I need your advice. I would really like for you to be there to help me.” Steve sent the message as soon as he finished typing it. Steve found himself tapping the sketchbook waiting for Andrea to reply. Steve still had his phone on when Andrea wrote back.   
“Of course, I can be there. Where am I meeting you and when?” Andrea asked.   
Steve needed to type slowly on the phone as his hands shook with excitement. “I was hoping around one o’clock. Mark will be at S.H.I.E.L.D. teaching some classes and training. I don’t want him to know we are going. I will call you tomorrow with the name of the store.”  
Steve got a reply right away from Andrea. “We are keeping a secret from Mark huh? I am down for secrets. I will see you then.”   
“Thanks,” Steve wrote back to Andrea and put his phone on the coffee table. Steve looked at his picture again from months ago and smiled. Steve was excited, and he knew Andrea could keep the secret from Mark. Steve closed the sketchbook and rest his head back on the couch. Steve closed his eyes and thought of the reality of his sketch. He smiled and soon found himself falling asleep on the couch.   
Steve woke up slowly to someone resting near his side. Steve looked over to see Mark curled up next to him with his arm wrapped around Steve. Steve must have slept for a long time if Mark was back already and fell asleep next to him. Steve turned to look at the window. The sun was beginning to go down, he did sleep for a while. Steve turned and was surprised by what he found on the coffee table. Steve saw a giant bouquet of flowers on the table with a card and a present next to the flowers. Steve slowly sat up, and Mark slid back against the couch still asleep. Steve looked at the flowers and noticed they were wildflowers. Mark went and got this somewhere and not from a store. Steve always loved nature and the flowers which grew in the countryside. Steve slowly reached out a hand and grabbed one of the flowers from the bouquet. Steve pulled out a yellow flower and smelled it. There was a strong smell that Steve loved. Steve looked over at Mark and put the flower in his hair. Steve smiled seeing the yellow flower stand out against Mark’s hair. Steve grabbed another flower and put it on the opposite side of Mark’s head to match. Steve found himself lightly laughing at the sight, but he did not know what this was all about. He did not even remember telling Mark how much he loved wildflowers more than store-bought flowers. Maybe Mark figured it out from Steve’s sketches? Steve shook the thought from his head and looked back at the table. He grabbed the card sitting there. The card was simple, only a white card but there was writing on the inside. When Steve opened the card, he knew it was Mark’s handwriting. Steve began to read the card to himself.   
“So I wasn’t sure which day to count for this. I didn’t know if I should count the first day we met in the Avenger Mansion. Or the next day that we went out to the market together. Or to count the day you first kissed me when I was going to leave the mansion. Then I realized there are so many days this could count for. So I went with the day which we agreed to be a couple…for the second time. Hope you forgive me for being dumb before, but I wanted to get you something special to remember our first anniversary. I love you, Steve.”   
Steve grabbed the card harder has he read the last lines. Steve never had an anniversary. Bucky always said he never saw the point of them. Steve tried to have an anniversary with Bucky, but it backfired on him. From that day forward, Steve never expected something from Bucky. Steve didn’t know he would expect something from Mark either. Mark’s card was right, Steve never knew what day they picked to be the official day, but Mark decided for him and got him something special. Steve looked down to see more writing on the card.   
“P.S. Make sure you check the back for the inscription.” Steve read. Steve thought it must mean something for the present. Steve looked on the back of the card to make sure he was right. Steve didn’t realize how big he was smiling right now until he grabbed the present and set it on his lap. The wrapping was simple and classic. Mark wrapped the present in red wrapping paper with a blue ribbon. Steve looked over at Mark. Mark was still asleep. Steve ran his hand through Mark’s hair, and he saw Mark take a deep breath in and slowly turn to get comfortable. Steve watched as one of the flowers fell and then Steve slowly brushed Mark’s face and just smiled for a moment watching Mark sleep there. Steve slowly turned to the present on his lap. Steve was curious as to what it could be. Steve slowly opened the present, he didn’t want to wake Mark up with all the noise.   
Steve took out the box from the wrapping. The box which was small but not a tiny box. Steve was curious as what this could hold. Steve opened the box and found a watch on the inside. Steve looked at the watch, a classic style with a black leather band and a white face on it. The watch looked expensive and was Steve’s style of remaining classic and clean. Steve slowly took the watch out of the box to look at it closely. Steve saw it was a finely crafted watch, almost something he would have back before he fell into the icy waters and froze. Steve slowly turned the watch over to find the inscription on it. Steve read the inscription out loud without realizing it.   
“You will always be my little warrior. –Mark,” Steve said. Steve smiled as he stared at the inscription on the watch.   
“Do you like it?” Steve heard. Steve turned to see Mark looking at his reaction.   
“How long have you been awake?” Steve asked.   
“Since you put the flowers in my hair,” Mark said smiling at Steve. Steve grabbed another flower from the bouquet and put it on Mark’s head. Mark glared at Steve while Steve laughed lightly.   
“So do you like it?” Mark asked again grabbing the flower from his head.   
“I do. I’m more surprised you did all this for me,” Steve said.   
Mark sat up to speak. “Why are you surprised? You like old fashioned things like anniversaries and the sock hop and dive bars.” Steve shoved Mark playfully as Mark teased him. Steve looked back at the watch. Mark reached over and took the watch from Steve and grabbed Steve’s wrist. Mark put on the watch for Steve. Steve turned his wrist to see the watch. Steve really did love the watch.   
Mark sat closer to Steve and hugged him. Steve smiled as he hugged Mark back. Steve looked back to the watch again. “You know he never did anything like this for me,” Steve said. Mark looked curiously at Steve, “Who?”  
Steve turned to look at Mark. “Bucky, he never liked anniversaries or anything like that. I tried to have a big anniversary dinner for him and me one year. It ended in a giant fight. He yelled at me saying I was dumb for doing such childlike things. ‘An anniversary is stupid, why do I need to be reminded of the years I put up with you.’” Steve looked down before he conitnued. “It was horrible. I figured it wasn’t a big deal to have an anniversary, but now…” Steve trailed off for a moment as he brought the watch closer, “I guess now I see how important it really is to me. And how important I am to you,” Steve said smiling. Mark leaned in and kissed him.   
“Well in fairness, you can thank Tony for helping me pick out the watch. I wrote the inscription of course,” Mark said sitting back.   
Steve smiled. “But I didn’t get you anything. I didn’t know what day we were counting as our anniversary.”  
“I know we have so many days to go off of,” Mark said as he slowly rubbed Steve’s back. “And actually, I wanted to surprise you with this. So I don’t mind not getting something. It is all about the surprise really. Besides, I am hard to get a gift for. You can ask Andrea about that.”   
Steve put the wrapping paper and the box on the coffee table and turned to hold Mark down as Steve got on top of him. “I know something I could do to give you as a gift,” Steve said with a smile.   
Mark looked to both of Steve’s hands holding him down. “Steve, you are using your super soldier strength against me. You are abusing your power, Steve. This is an abuse of power,” Mark said.   
“Shut up,” Steve said smiling as he went to kiss Mark. Steve kissed Mark deeply for a while as he ran his hands through Mark’s hair. Steve pulled back and looked at Mark’s hair as he ran his hands through it.   
“Remember when you hated the hair?” Mark asked. Steve laughed as he put his forehead against Mark’s. “Yes, I do. I am just not used to guys changing hair colors. I didn’t know what to think. But now…” Steve said as he ran his hand through Mark’s hair, “I like it. I miss it long through.” Steve felt a poke in his side from Mark.   
“Hey,” Steve said as he grabbed Mark’s hand and held him down again. “Now I won’t let you go at all.”  
“Who said I would want you to?” Mark asked.   
Steve paused in shock at Mark’s words. It took a little while for them to sink in, but Steve realized he never wanted to let go of Mark. Steve smiled and kissed Mark again. Steve pulled away and slowly got up and pulled Mark up from the couch.   
“Where are we going?” Mark asked.   
“I am going to give you a special present,” Steve said as he pulled Mark along. Mark quickly pinned Steve to the wall and came in close to look him in the eyes. “Why not have some fun here?” Mark said with a smile. Steve smiled back and leaned forward to kiss Mark. Steve pulled his hands-free and slowly switched positions with Mark.   
“This is my present to you, so I will say what goes,” Steve said in a firm voice. Steve saw a surprised expression on Mark's face. “Any objections?”  
Steve saw a smile slowly grow on Mark’s face, “None at all captain. I am curious to see where you will take this.”  
Steve slowly let his grip off of Mark and pulled him toward their bedroom. Steve pushed Mark down on the bed and was greeted with a smile from Mark. Steve slowly climbed on Mark and straddled Mark’s hips. Steve winced in pain as he moved, and he felt Mark’s hand hold him for support.   
“Careful,” Mark said as Steve turned to see a concerned look on Mark’s face. Steve couldn’t help but feel warmth in his chest when he looked at Mark’s expression. The man who did so much for him and through it all worried for Steve even when there was a small amount of pain. Steve grabbed Mark’s hands and held them down against the bed.   
“Like I said, I say what goes here,” Steve said as he leaned in close to Mark. Steve slowly moved to Mark’s neck and kissed it, listening to Mark’s breathing to change. To Steve’s surprise, he heard Mark let out a low growl. Steve looked up into Mark’s eyes.   
“What?” Mark asked.   
Steve smiled and leaned in closer, “Now I see why you like making me make noise. It is fun and a turn on. I am going to find out what noises I can get out of you tonight.” Steve said as he came in close to kiss Mark, feeling more emotion than he had before.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11  
Andrea  
Andrea walked down the city streets looking for the store Steve asked her to meet him. Andrea left early but got lost on the way to the store. Steve wasn’t clear with the location of the store and Andrea had no idea what to expect when she got there. Andrea felt like she was walking around in circles in the city and had no clue where she was going. She was happy to be here than helping Tony move everything from Stark Tower to the Mansion. Andrea wouldn’t be able to see the mansion, Tony wanted to keep it as a surprise to even Andrea.   
Andrea finally arrived at where she thought she was supposed to be. She looked up at the store and was confused. The store was a jewelry shop, and she thought maybe Steve wanted to get something for Mark for their anniversary. Steve might have felt bad he didn’t get Mark anything and wanted Andrea to help him find something. Andrea paused at the door. She felt like running back and helping Tony move things to the trucks from Stark Tower now. Hell, Andrea felt like fighting a supervillain at the moment than trying to find a gift for Mark. It was always difficult to find something for Mark. Now, Steve wanted her help with finding something. Andrea looked up and saw Steve inside looking around. She was at the right store. She took a deep breath and opened the door.   
Steve looked up and saw Andrea. “You found the place,” Steve said.   
“So you know your directions were really bad,” Andrea said as she looked around the store. Andrea suddenly became overwhelmed with all the options and what Mark would like as a present.   
“Something wrong?” Steve asked.   
“Steve,” Andrea began, “I don’t know what we are going to get Mark as an anniversary present. I mean he is the most difficult person to shop for when it comes to this stuff. I have no idea what he would like or what he would even want. He likes this stuff, but he is so damn particular that I have no idea if it is the right thing to get him or the wrong thing. I don’t even know where to begin with our search.” Andrea stopped as she heard Steve laughing. “And what are you laughing about? The struggle is real!”  
“I already know what I want to get here,” Steve said. “I just want your opinion on a few things is all.”   
“Oh,” Andrea said. Then she tilted her head questioning Steve. “So we aren’t getting him an anniversary present?”  
Steve shook his head, and Andrea noticed his face turning red. Now Andrea was curious. Why would they be here if not to get Mark an anniversary present?  
“Are we exchanging your present? I mean Mark worked hard to find something you would really like. I know Tony helped him out, and they both thought they struck gold with the gift they found for you,” Andrea asked.   
“No,” Steve said louder than he intended to speak. “No, we are not exchanging my present. I like it a lot,” Steve said as he held the watch on his wrist. Andrea looked at the watch, “Can I see it?” Andre asked.   
Steve held out his arm and Andrea looked at the watch. It was a classic watch with very simple but nice details. She can see why Mark and Tony felt it was gold when they found it for him. “What does the inscription say?” Andrea asked.   
Steve turned his head curiously at Andrea. “Mark didn’t tell you?” Steve asked.   
“No,” Andrea said in a huff and folded her arms. “He kept it a secret from all of us. He said it was only something you would know and understand. Tony was the most pissed about not knowing about it. He helped find the gift, and he couldn’t see the inscription. Tony even tried to bribe Mark to find out.”  
“He did?” Steve asked. “What did Tony bribe him with?”   
Andrea thought for a moment. “The standard at first. He offered to buy the watch. I think the last thing Tony used as a bribe was a trip to a private island for you and Mark. Mark still said no to that.”  
“Mark said no to a private island trip?!” Steve said loudly.   
Andrea laughed, “I am just joking. It stopped at the price of the watch. Although, Tony could easily cover the trip for you guys, but he is focused on figuring out our honeymoon. He said it is a surprise.”  
“Oh,” Steve said taking a step back. “I would believe Tony would offer that to find out any secret, especially from Mark.”  
Andrea smiled, “So let me see the inscription.”  
Steve took off the watch and handed it to Andrea. Andrea took the watch and turned it over to read the inscription. “You will always be my little warrior,” Andrea read out loud. Then she looked at Steve. “Is this cause he is taller than you? I find it cute he is calling a six-foot-tall super soldier a little warrior.”  
Steve blushed and took back the watch. “No,” Steve said as he put the watch back on his wrist. Andrea laughed.   
“So what does it mean?” Andrea asked.   
“Something only he and I know about,” Steve answered with a smile.   
Andrea sighed, “You are no fun, you know that?”   
Steve nodded his head agreeing with Andrea.   
“So what are we getting here for Mark?” Andrea asked.   
“Well,” Steve began as he walked over to the counter. “It is more something for him and me. But I needed to know what you think he would want.” Steve paused for a moment looking at the counter. “There are just a lot of options.”  
Andrea walked over to the counter. Andrea looked down into the display to see what Steve was looking at. Andrea took a moment and realized what Steve wanted to buy. She grabbed his arm in excitement. “Really?!” Andrea asked. Steve nodded his head. Andrea squeaked in excitement for Steve and Mark.   
“I just didn’t know what color or style he would want. I thought something simple would be good for him and me, but I wasn’t sure. I need your help,” Steve said.   
Andrea glared at him for a long while.   
“What?” Steve asked.   
“At first, I was overwhelmed with the idea of getting Mark an anniversary present. And now you want me to help you pick out an engagement ring for you and him. Now my anxiety is going to go through the roof,” Andrea said.   
Steve laughed. “Sorry, I didn’t know it was going to be rough on you. How do you think I feel?”   
“This isn’t about you right now, Steve. It's about me helping you find the right ring for Mark,” Andrea said quickly. Steve laughed. Both Andrea and Steve looked around at the display and all the rings.   
“So any thoughts on what you wanted to get him?” Andrea asked.   
Steve pointed down in the display. “I was thinking something like this just not sure if it should be all classic,” Steve said.   
“A classic look in a different color is something like Mark’s style,” Andrea said. “But you can’t go silver,” Andrea said.   
Steve looked up confused at Andrea, “Why not?”   
“Steve,” Andrea put on hand on her hip as she spoke, “You need to go gold or higher. Silver is not something you should get. Why not something with tons of sparkle on it?” Andrea asked.   
Steve tilted his head at Andrea. “This is a ring for Mark. Not a ring for you.”   
Andrea paused for a moment. “Oh yeah. I forgot for a moment, sorry.”  
“It is okay,” Steve said. “I know the wedding plans have you in wedding mode.”  
“It sure does,” Andrea said as she went over to the ring Steve first pointed out. “So do they offer different types of that one?” Andrea asked.   
“I don’t know, we can find out,” Steve said. Steve looked around and saw no one around to help them.   
“So are you really serious about this?” Andrea asked.   
Steve looked at Andrea confused. “The ring? Well, we have to see the options.”  
“No super soldier. Proposing to him,” Andrea clarified.   
Steve mouthed an oh and looked down at the rings.   
Andrea waited for a moment and saw Steve lost in thought as he looked at the rings.   
“I have gone through a lot, Andrea,” Steve began. “I was different. I was smaller than most guys my age. I was different for liking guys as well. I couldn’t even join the army until I agreed to sign up for the super soldier project. Then my life turned around being in the army. I had Bucky there, and sure it was a war, but I felt it getting better. Then I fell into the ocean and froze for seventy years. When I came into this time, I didn’t know how much had changed. I was still Captain America, but I didn’t know what changed socially in this country. I thought I had to play the part. I didn’t think I would ever find someone I could be with and be happy.”  
“And that’s when you found Maria Hill,” Andrea said.   
Steve nodded as he continued. “I met her and thought I could play the part of the classic American married hero. The ideal American picture of a family. I was never happy, though. Maria was nice, but I never felt myself. I told Tony. He told me things changed since my time and showed me how much it changed. I didn’t know I would ever have been allowed to like another man. Then we found Bucky, and we both know how well that turned out.”  
Andrea slammed her fist on the counter when she heard Bucky’s name. Steve looked over surprised and then smiled. “I know you don’t like him. No one does. But the truth is I was with him for years. Then I met Mark,” Steve paused when he said Mark’s name.   
“It’s been different for me from that point on. I couldn’t even really figure it out for a while, but it is simply put, the world makes much more sense to me when Mark is around. He let me be myself more. Even Tony agrees my true self came out more. I know I have messed up a few times.”  
“Many times,” Andrea interrupted. Steve looked at her. “Many many times,” Andrea continued.   
“I get it. I messed up. The truth is I didn’t know how to react to the situation. When I first met Mark, it was scary to feel that way with someone right away. I didn’t mean to get so close so quickly, but I did. I got scared with Mark and went to what I knew. I had no idea how to manage the situation of my past with Maria and things with Mark now. I know he was mad at me for going back to Bucky. He deserved to be. When I saw him walk away I realized something,” Steve stopped and looked down to the counter.   
Andrea put her hand on his arm. “What did you realize?”   
Steve looked at Andrea as he spoke. “I cared about him more than anything else. I was scared about how strongly I felt about him. I didn’t know how to handle these emotions. Now, all I want is that. I care about him, and I know how much he cares about me. I am done being dumb about the situation. I want this for him and me. I want us to be together for the long term. I never felt that way about anyone before. I don’t know if I make sense.”  
Andrea bumped her shoulder against Steve’s. “Hey, you are talking to a woman getting married herself. It is not supposed to make complete sense. The important part to figure out, you did. You realized you were scared and now you are not. And the major part of not being dumb will save us all headaches.”  
Steve made a face at Andrea.   
“You know I am right,” Andrea said.   
Steve looked back at the display. “I know. I gave us all headaches without even trying.”  
“It’s not to say Mark didn’t either with all of his dumb actions,” Andrea said.   
“I know. But he did the dumb things for us. I want to do something for us as well,” Steve said.   
A man walked out of the back room and saw Andrea and Steve standing there.   
“Finally,” Andrea said. “If you didn’t have two Avengers here, I swear this place would have been robbed by now.”  
The man walked over to the two of them. “Can I help you with something?”  
“Yes,” Andrea answered for Steve. The man looked over at Steve.   
“That one,” Steve pointed out.   
The man took the ring out of the display and handed it to Steve. Andrea looked at the ring. It was a platinum classic band.   
“How are you gonna make it special?” Andrea asked.   
Steve smiled and pulled out something in his pocket. “Is there a way to melt this metal into the ring? And to have this inscribed on the inside?” Steve asked. The man picked up the small piece of metal and held it up. He looked at the inscription and thought for a moment.   
“It is a classic shape, so we can melt this metal into the ring. It will cost more, but we can do it here. The inscription will cost extra as well. Are you fine with all of this?” The man asked.   
Steve nodded. “When can it be ready by?”   
The man looked at the ring and then at the two of them. “Well, I might just cast a new ring with this metal. It will be cheaper than making it from an existing ring. I can give a discount to the cute couple as well, but should take about two weeks for everything.”   
“Oh no, we…” Steve began, but Andrea pulled his arm to get him to stop talking.   
“Thank you so much. Yes, we are very excited to get the rings made. Thank you so much for the discount,” Andrea said with a smile. The man nodded at the two of them. “I will go write up an estimate for you, I will be right back.” Steve nodded as well when the man left.   
“Did you need to lie?” Steve asked Andrea when the man left.   
“Shut it, it got you a discount,” Andrea said with a smile. Andrea wondered for a long moment about something before she finally asked.   
“So what was that metal you gave the man?” Andrea finally asked.   
Steve smiled big when Andrea asked. She knew it was going to be something very special. “It is a small piece of my shield. Tony worked on it a while ago and smoothed it out. It is a small piece he saved from that, and I thought it would be great to put it in the ring.”  
Andrea smiled and hugged Steve’s arm. “That is going to make it special. And what about the inscription?”  
Steve blushed as he answered. “That is a secret for only Mark to find out. I’m not telling anyone.”  
Andrea huffed. “You know I can break in here and steal the paper. Maybe even change it without you knowing until it is too late. Just tell me.”   
“Nope,” Steve answered.   
“You are just as bad as Mark. You two are made for each other,” Andrea said annoyed.   
“Yeah,” Steve began. “I think we are.”  
Andrea smiled and rested her head on Steve’s shoulder. “Let’s see if we can get you more of a discount.”


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12  
Tony  
Tony opened the doors and walked into the mansion with pride. The other Avengers followed him through the entrance of their new home. It wasn’t officially move-in day, but Tony wanted everyone to tour the mansion before moving in and to marvel in its greatness.   
“Welcome everyone to the new Avenger Mansion,” Tony shouted as he walked into the large foyer of the mansion. The foyer itself was about double the size it was before. Tony heard his voice echo through the foyer, and he felt pride as his voice echoed back at him. “What do you guys think?”  
Tony had heard a long silence before Mark broke the silence. “I think this reminds us of how disgustingly rich you truly are.”  
“It sure does, and he is my future husband,” Andrea said with a smile.   
“Tony, remember to get that prenuptial,” Mark shouted, and then Tony heard a very loud punch.   
“Ow!” Mark said.  
“You did deserve that,” Steve said. “It’s only a month and a half before the wedding.”  
Tony turned to see Mark rubbing his arm. “Still hurt. I will remember this when I am setting things up for the Rave.”  
“All in time, right now let’s see the wondrous place I built for us. Only the best for the Avengers and the best means built by the one and only Tony Stark. So let’s have a look around. I added many new features to this building. I am sure you all will enjoy it. So let’s head this way,” Tony said as he walked to the left and opened the double doors. Everyone followed Tony except Andrea and Mark. Tony saw them standing there with their arms folded and smiles on their faces. Tony watched as the rest of the Avengers turned to see Mark and Andrea.   
“What are you two up to?” Tony asked.   
“Well Tony, we all would enjoy a tour of you boasting about your work and genius, but we have another idea,” Mark said smiling.   
“And what idea is that?” Tony asked worriedly of what the answer will be.   
Mark turned to Andrea and raised an eyebrow. Andrea put her hands around her mouth to shout. “Scatter!”  
After Andrea had said, this Mark and Andrea fled the area. Tony watched as all the other Avengers did the same and went in different directions, except Steve. Tony was left standing in the dining area with only with Steve near him.   
“We are going to be living with children. Five fully grown children and probably more joining later on. I didn’t sign up to babysit them,” Tony said.   
Steve laughed. “Come on, You are marrying one of those children. And honestly, did you expect less from either one of them?” Steve asked.   
Tony smiled. “No. The one thing I do enjoy about that woman is the fact she always keeps things exciting. I just wish she stuck only to the bedroom. But I guess I can’t contain that creative beauty.”  
Tony turned to see Steve smiling at him. “What?”  
“This is different than Pepper, isn’t it?” Steve asked.   
“Shut it,” Tony said as he began to walk down the hall to find the Avengers.   
“Come on, Tony,” Steve said following behind. “You can admit to really being in love with Andrea. I mean you are marrying here.”  
“I didn’t say I didn’t love her. I love her greatly.” Tony said as he looked down which direction to go.   
“Then why not say it is better than it was with Pepper? I know it was a tough time with Pepper, but this is different,” Steve said.   
“That’s exactly the point, Cap. It is different.” Tony said and began to walk down the hallway to the look for the others.   
“I feel like we are arguing for no reason right now,” Steve said. Tony walked into the empty kitchen area. Tony thought he would find Mark in here or at least Clint getting a snack.   
“We aren’t arguing Steve. I am asking you to not compare my relationship to Pepper to my future marriage to Andrea,” Tony said.   
Tony turned around and walked passed Steve without meeting his eyes.  
Steve turned around slowly and began to follow. “Sorry Tony, I didn’t mean to…”  
“It’s fine, Steve. I know you didn’t mean to bring it up in a bad way. You do have a bad habit of bringing up bad things by accident. Especially with Mark,” Tony said with a smile.   
“Tony, don’t,” Steve said.   
“Soft spot for you, Cap?” Tony said as he rounded the corner to go into the hanger.   
“You know things have been great between Mark and me lately,” Steve said as he walked down the stairs following Tony into the hanger. Tony looked around to see if anyone was in the Quin Jet or the other vehicles and he saw someone looking around at the cars and motorcycles.   
“That’s what I mean Steve. What happened in our past relationships is not something we should let impact our current one. I am marrying Andrea. My relationship with Andrea will not be a repeat of what I had with Pepper. Andrea is different. I am different. It is a new relationship. And I will make it work out,” Tony said as he walked up to the car with a person in the driver’s seat. Tony opened the car door to see Clint trying to hotwire the car. Clint looked at Tony smiling.   
“You will never drive this car, and it can’t be hotwired,” Tony said pulling Clint out of the car.   
“Why do you always have to ruin our fun. You are such a dad,” Clint said to Tony. Tony dragged Clint along and looked at Steve.   
“See children,” Tony said.   
“And you are the annoying Dad,” Clint repeated.   
“You head up to the training room,” Tony said pushing Clint up the stairs. “There are a few new toys in there I am sure you will enjoy.”  
“You really are playing the dad thing I see,” Steve said.   
“Someone has to keep these kids in line,” Tony said. Clint went on up with Tony and Steve following to the training room on the third floor. Tony kept some things on the same floors in memory of the old mansion. But the space with nearly triple that of the old mansion. Tony walked into the training room first and found Natasha and Thor both practicing with the new equipment.   
“You actually did good Stark,” Natasha said working on one of the new simulation robots Tony built.   
“You sound surprised,” Tony said.   
“Well after Ultron, I thought you would stop with these,” Natasha began.   
“Flaw which was worked out in these,” Tony said quickly. “They are just for combat purposes. Nothing else. They will help us practice more, and I only have two. I won't build more until they break.” Tony turned to Steve. “Don’t break these too quickly.”  
Steve held up his hands in surrender, “Why am I the one who will break it?”   
“Because you always do,” Natasha said. “The many punching bags we went through would let you know.”  
Tony looked over to Thor working on the new punching bags designed for him and Steve. Tony was worried to interrupt the Thunder God in mid-practice. “We are still missing two,” Tony said walking out of the room to look for Andrea and Mark. Steve followed.   
“So are you excited about the wedding?” Steve asked Tony as they walked down the stairs.   
“I am more excited for the wedding night,” Tony replied. “That is the best part of going through the ceremony.”   
“Tony,” Steve said. “You know what I mean.”   
Tony stopped before entering the lab. “What about you, Cap? Andrea told me about the ring. When are you going to tie the knot with Mark?” Tony asked.   
Steve paused and began to shift uncomfortably as he stood there. “Don’t turn this on me, Tony.”  
“My conversation is over. I am saying my relationship is different with Andrea. It won’t be like how it was with Pepper. I feel it is different, and it will be different. When are you going to admit it is different for you and Mark?” Tony finally said.   
Steve still continued to shift his feet, standing awkwardly. “It is different,” Steve said. Tony folded his arms and stood there. “Well tell me then. How is it different?”  
Steve waited for a moment, Tony could see Steve gathering his thoughts. “I… I feel like it's much better when he is around,” Steve said.   
Tony leaned in as he asked the question, “What is?”  
Steve looked up and met Tony’s eyes. “Everything. Everything is better, Tony.” Steve didn’t go into detail, but Tony knew what he meant. Tony slowly dropped his arms and leaned back as he took in Steve’s words. Tony knew what Steve had gone through, most people of the Avengers did. But Steve never really talked about how he felt losing everyone he knew. Tony had the fortune of being compared to Howard, his father when first meeting Steve. He soon realized how painful it was for Steve to lose everyone he had ever known. Steve never talked about it, only carried it with him.   
“And what will you do about it, Steve? You can’t let this one get away,” Tony said. Steve looked up shocked at Tony. “Is Mark leaving?”  
Tony smiled. “Don’t know. He might be. He was saying something about wondering when the next step would happen in the relationship. He said something about leaving if something didn’t happen soon.”  
Steve smiled and narrowed his eyes. “You’re a bad liar, Tony. Besides, I already know he wouldn’t say that.” Steve said looking away.   
“Just do it already. I am tired of the waiting and Andrea keeps thinking every moment you two are together is the moment you will propose. Her anxiety and excitement are through the roof, and that’s giving me a headache,” Tony said.   
Steve looked at Tony, “Are you saying I need to hurry up and propose to save you from a headache?”   
“Yes! Finally, you get it,” Tony said as he turned to open the lab door. Tony began to walk down the stairs.   
“I can’t believe you need me to rush so you won’t have a headache,” Steve said following Tony down the stairs.   
“I don’t see what is unbelievable about it. I have a headache from it and you doing that is the solution. So hurry up already,” Tony said.   
“You waited for the right moment,” Steve said.   
“Don’t turn this around on me, Steve,” Tony said with a smile. “You waited this long, don’t blame me for doing it first.”  
“Are you two having a pissing contest? I swear I could hear you from outside the door,” Andrea said looking up from the computer.   
“I thought I would find you in here,” Tony said walking over to her. “Clever trick telling everyone to scatter.”  
Andrea looked up to see Steve standing there. “Got to admit, I am surprised Steve didn’t scatter with us.” Steve walked over to the computer standing next to Tony.   
“Why is that? I didn’t know you guys planned it.”  
Andrea tilted her head at Steve. “We didn’t plan it. Mark and I decided on it about a minute before I shouted to scatter. You should have just gone with him somewhere. Break in the new bed or something before we found you, something exciting,” Andrea said.   
Steve blushed red for a moment. “I didn’t think of that.”   
“And now Mark is off somewhere in this mansion with some man, and we don’t know what is going on between those two,” Andrea said.   
“There is another person here?” Steve asked.   
“Calm down, Steve. She is messing with you,” Tony said turning to Andrea. “You know he is freaking out about Mark’s safety ever since Bucky broke out of S.H.I.E.L.D., did you need to?”   
Andrea smiled and nodded. “What he gets for not going off with Mark and spicing up the romance.”  
Tony paused for a second and thought about Andrea’s words. “Actually, you were right for doing that to Steve.”  
Andrea smiled bigger.   
“Thanks, guys,” Steve said walking toward and up the stairs.   
“Where are you going, Steve?” Andrea asked.   
“To find Mark,” Steve replied.  
Andrea gasped, “Are you going to propose?”   
Steve stopped, and Tony watched him turn around. Tony pointed to Andrea, who was holding her hands together waiting for an answer. “See, headache. Just do it already,” Tony said.   
Steve just shook his head and continued up the stairs.   
“So no proposal?” Andrea asked.   
“No proposal today,” Tony said walking over to Andrea and kissing her on the forehead. “So like the new lab?”   
“It’s really big,” Andrea said as her voice echoed. “Is this place too big?”   
“Naw it will fill up before we know it. So any clue where Mark went?” Tony asked.   
“Mark went to claim his room first. He thought Steve would follow, but most likely he found a comfortable bed and is lying down listening to his music. Or plotting to attack Steve when he comes into a room. Whichever,” Andrea said.  
“Well least one of them is spicing up the relationship,” Tony said.   
“Was it a serious talk outside of the lab?” Andrea asked.   
Tony looked at Andrea. “No, not bad at all. Steve just is realizing more and more what he has with Mark. He doesn’t want to lose it. He is trying to make it perfect in every aspect. He seems more nervous about the whole thing than anything else.”  
Andrea nodded then looked at her hands. “He has lost a lot of people. Many people he cared about. He might not know what to do with Mark being so close to him.”  
“You’re right on that. But Steve let Mark in faster than anyone else here. I don’t even think he meant to do it. It just happened. Some things can’t be fully explained,” Tony said.   
“Like how I put up with your egotistical tours of the mansion?” Andrea asked with a smile.   
“Ha, Ha,” Tony said leaning in to kiss Andrea. “You scattered from the tour if I recall.”  
“It was worth it,” Andrea said. Tony smiled and looked at the computer screen.   
“What are you working on?” Tony asked.   
“I was transferring files from Stark Tower to here. Mark asked me to look into how Winter Soldier got out of S.H.I.E.L.D. Mark thinks it was an inside job which would make sense,” Andrea said and then cut herself off mid-thought.   
“Something is bothering you. You don’t stop your thoughts like that for no reason,” Tony said. “Do you think it wasn’t an inside job?”  
“No, not that. I think Mark has it right, someone helped Winter Soldier break out. Something is bothering me, though,” Andrea said.   
Tony sat down next to Andrea, “What?”  
“Tony,” Andrea began, “Why was Bucky held there for a year?”  
“He was a prisoner of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” Tony answered.  
“Right, but why not put in one of our many offshore prisons? Why was he held at S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ?” Andrea asked.   
Tony’s eyes went wide as he realized Andrea brought up major points to Winter Soldier being held. “They wanted something out of him?” Tony asked.   
“I think so, or at least someone did. This is the really strange part,” Andrea said pulling up files on the screen. “The footage for three weeks before the day Winter Soldier was confirmed missing are gone. It makes sense for someone to cover his tracks. But this is the strange part,” Andrea said as she pulled up a calendar of the year. “I have sporadic days of missing footage. Someone was visiting Winter Soldier over the year, and I don’t know who it was.”  
Tony looked at the calendar and wrapped his arm around Andrea. “Well my lovely, it looks like we have ourself a lead,” Tony said with a smile.   
Andrea looked weary at the screen.   
“What is it?” Tony asked.   
“I don’t like it, Tony. I think there more parts we are missing,” Andrea said.   
“Like what?” Tony asked.   
Andrea sighed. “I don’t know. Something tells me we are looking at something going on for a while. Before Mark and I even got here.”  
Tony looked at the screen again. “I don’t like it. Your gut has yet to be wrong.” Tony stood up and held out his hand to help Andrea up. “We will keep searching and see what we can find,” Tony said.   
Andrea grabbed his hand and stood up. “Do we tell the others?”   
Tony looked toward the stairs, “No. Steve will freak knowing something bigger is going on. Look how he reacted to Winter Soldier breaking out. If he knows something bigger is going on, then he will lock Mark up in a room, and we can already see the crazy break up from there. We keep searching until we find out what is going on.”  
Andrea led the way to the stairs still holding Tony’s hand. “I knew you would say that. And worse, I was going to say it. We can’t let them all worry when we don’t know what we are facing. I will keep looking. I will see if I can find something of the deleted files.”  
“Okay, but for now. Let’s go enjoy our new home,” Tony said kissing Andrea. “And later christening the new bed.”


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13  
Steve  
Steve arrived back at the mansion to get ready for the Rave going on in the backyard. Steve attended the bachelor party for Tony earlier in the evening but decided not to go on the other festivities everyone else wished to attend. Rhody was adamant on going to an adult-themed club which would have woman dancing in very compromising ways. Steve felt he would get nothing from such a club, so he decided to come home and dress for the party happening outside. It was a Saturday evening, and the Rave went on for almost two days now. Steve did not know what to expect, and Mark had Andrea build giant barriers to keep out people from seeing what went on inside. Mark wanted this party to have nothing held back, and the barriers ensured it would occur. Steve now had the issue of figuring out what to wear to the Rave.   
Steve remembered Mark and Andrea telling him to dress comfortably but also wild. Steve didn’t know what wild would really be for him, he could guess what wild meant for Mark and Andrea though. Andrea tried to help Steve find an outfit the day before, but she kept touching all the soft clothing in his closet. Steve was unsure what was going on with Andrea. Natasha and Clint were acting strangely as well. Mark said something about the three of them pre-gaming but was not sure what that meant.   
Steve looked into his closet and found a shirt with a tie-dye pattern on it. He thought this would be a perfect for the what sounded like a wild time outside. Steve looked for jeans but remembered both Andrea and Mark said wearing something he wouldn’t mind getting dirty and wet would be better. Steve did not know what would happen at the Rave for his clothes to get dirty and wet, but he reached for blue board shorts to wear outside. Steve still wore sneakers just so he could be comfortable. Steve looked in the mirror and decided to wear a baseball cap to add more to him being protected from what would happen. Steve didn’t know what to expect as he left the room and walked down to the first floor. Steve went to the back door and saw two men standing there as security guards. Mark was keeping this VIP for sure.   
“Name?” the large man asked.   
“Steve Rogers,” Steve replied. The man looked on the list. “Ah, you're on the VIP list. Head right to the party.”  
The doors opened, and Steve saw a haze from a fog. He looked to the security guards and then forward as he walked out into the backyard. Steve felt like he was entering an old forest with how much fog was around him. Steve saw many people around. Some he recognized from other organizations like the X-men or S.H.I.E.L.D. itself. A few organizations Steve did not know about, but he did see Johnny Storm from the Fantastic Four. Steve looked around and realized it was going to be a big hassle to find Mark in this crowd.   
Steve walked around and saw booths with the Asgardian mead being given out. Steve stopped to grab a bottle to drink while he looked for Mark. Steve walked around and realized the backyard was much larger than the last mansion. Steve looked and saw some of the X-men partying in the distance, they waved to him. Steve waved back recognizing Gambit and Iceman dancing with some women he did not know. Steve continued walking and looked around trying to find where Mark was in this giant party. Steve felt the vibrations of the music through his body, and his drink vibrated in his hand. Steve did not realize the music would be intense and varying in beats for everyone to be dancing to it. Steve watched as the people danced to the beat of the music. Steve could not understand why Andrea was excited about this party, everyone moved as one with the music through them. Steve kept watching the people dancing and noticed a woman dancing in a rainbow tutu in the center. Steve realized it was Andrea dancing in the middle. He began to walk to the center of the dance floor to talk to her. Steve needed to push through the people to get to Andrea. Andrea turned and ran to Steve when she saw him.   
“Steve!” Andrea squeaked. “You made it! Are you having fun?”   
Steve looked around on the dance floor and realized people were very comfortable dancing with one another while the music played. “I just arrived actually. This is…Different.”  
Andrea looked around to see what Steve was looking at. All the people were dancing very close and touching one another on the dance floor. “It’s kind of typical for this type of party for people to be dancing like this.”  
“How friendly do they get?” Steve asked.   
Andrea laughed for a moment. “Very friendly. Basically, Mark needed to pull about ten people off of the dance floor because they got too crazy. Wait… he pulled eleven people off the dance floor. I forgot one was a threesome.”  
“What?” Steve asked loudly.  
“Don’t worry, people are just enjoying themselves. But we do have a few repeat offenders getting caught having sex. Mark set up an area of tents for more privacy, but people want to put on a show,” Andrea said.   
“A show?” Steve asked.   
“Yeah well, I don’t know how else to explain the exhibitionists we have here. I was shocked to see how much Natasha and Clint wanted to show off. Especially since they both kept their relationship under wraps. Well now everyone knows,” Andrea said.   
Steve took a long drink from his bottle. He knew Natasha and Clint may have had some type of relationship especially after Mark, Andrea, and Tony pointed out all the signs. But now everyone saw them having intimate relations in public. There was no way Tony was going to let Clint or Natasha live this down.   
“Yeah you might need more mead after everything else you will see here,” Andrea said.   
Steve braced himself for the answer after he asked the question. “What else will I see?”   
Andrea thought for a moment, it looked like she recalled all the events of the last two days. “Well, the sex is the main thing. Some fights, mainly from people being turned down and being wimps about rejection. We have a few people way too intoxicated chilling near the tents now. Thor is there. He might be someone to avoid during this party. Apparently, he thought Mark said this was a raid, not a rave. He brought his Asgardian friends to this party and began trashing the place. Mark quickly set it up for them to trash a booth after drinking all the alcohol in it. We have had cycles of Asgardians singing, cheering, shouting, drinking, then they are passed out for hours from all the alcohol they consumed. No serious fights, though.”  
“Thor is raiding the booths?” Steve asked. Andrea laughed. “It's actually the funniest thing I have seen. Thor shouting and singing Asgardian songs of war while drinking and breaking apart a booth. By the way, how was Tony’s bachelor party?” Andrea asked.   
“Nothing like this,” Steve began. “They all left to… an establishment I didn’t want to go to. So I came here.”  
Andrea crossed her arms and looked at Steve. “Steve, going to a strip club is normal in this day and age. It is fine. I have seen enough naked men here to top any strip club.”  
Steve was stunned by how calm Andrea was about the strip club.   
“I can get why you didn’t want to go, though. Not much for you to see there. And normal alcohol won’t do anything for you. It would be really boring,” Andrea explained.   
“I think I need another drink,” Steve said as he finished his bottle.   
“I will keep an eye out for Mark. He is supposed to find some alchemist for me. So if you find him, remind him about that,” Andrea said.   
Steve looked confused. “What will an alchemist have for you?”   
“Don’t ask questions, Steve. Just send him this way,” Andrea said as she joined the group again to dance her heart out. Steve pushed his way through the crowd and saw the booths giving out the mead nearby. Steve also saw one of the destroyed booths Andrea was talking about near him. Steve looked to see if Thor was near, but he figured this must be one of the many casualties from Thor.   
Steve threw the bottle away in a trash can and walked to the booth. Steve asked for mead, and the man handed him a bottle. Steve opened it and tossed the top in the trash can.   
“Captain America,” Steve heard as someone threw his arm around Steve. Steve looked over to see who it was greeting him in such a friendly manner.   
“Oh, hi Logan,” Steve said looking at Logan also known as Wolverine.   
“You are the last person I would expect to see at a rave. What brings you here?” Logan asked.   
“I was invited and wouldn’t miss this party. It is different than what I am used to, but everyone is enjoying themselves,” Steve said pointing to the dance floor.   
“People are enjoying themselves all over the place, not just on the dance floor,” Logan explained.   
“I heard. But it is that type of party I suppose. I wasn’t expecting anything like this,” Steve said.   
“Speaking of unexpected things, when were you going to let me know a nice new thing joined the Avengers?” Logan asked.   
Steve looked over to Andrea dancing on the dance floor. “Sorry Logan, but she is taken. This party is for her, the big party before Tony and Andrea get married. I thought you knew coming to this?”  
“Not her,” Logan corrected. “The young guy running this party. I didn’t know he was part of the Avengers.”  
Steve tightened his grip on his bottle. “Why would you want to know about him?”  
“Well,” Logan began, “when you lived as long as I have, you realize you don’t want to exclude half the world’s population from having fun. So I thought you could help me out by helping me get on his good side. He has been giving me the cold shoulder. I asked Clint and Natasha to help. Clint laughed in my face and Natasha hit me with a mean left hook. I don’t know what their problem is?”  
Steve laughed hearing Natasha’s reaction to Logan asking. He would expect Natasha to punch anyone trying to ruin him and Mark.   
“Do you know where he is?” Steve asked.   
“I have been keeping my eye on him for the past day. He was managing something near the tents not long ago. I can take you there,” Logan said. Steve nodded, and Logan led the way to the tent area.   
Steve followed Logan and saw all the tents. He wondered what was going on in some of them. He figured people were engaging in sexual acts in the tents, but some of the people looked like they were very aggressive toward one another during the act. Steve turned to another area of the tents and saw Mark holding his phone standing in the middle of a row of tents. Steve walked over to him with Logan near his side. Steve saw Mark look up at him.   
“You made it,” Mark said smiling at Steve.   
“I did,” Steve answered. “What are you doing?”   
Mark laughed. “Well, Tony said to get him some blackmail of three people here. So I was telling him what happened with Clint. I guess Natasha got him drunk enough to wear Andrea’s spare tutu. He decided to only wear the tutu and nothing else. It was quite a sight.”  
“Never a dull moment with you, is there?” Steve said.   
“Nope,” Mark said putting his phone away. Mark looked up to see Logan. “You’re Logan, right? From the X-men?”   
“The one and only. I am sure you have heard of me,” Logan said.   
Mark shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry. I know about the X-men, but I don’t keep up with who is part of the team. Before joining the Avengers, I was in a line of work which mainly focused on the political powers growing and keeping the powers of the world in check.”  
“Sounds like a boring political job to me,” Logan said taking a drink. Steve glared at Logan. Mark just smiled.   
“I can see how taking down corrupt world leaders and crime lords can be very boring. But I did hear a few things about you from other people here,” Mark said.   
Yeah,” Logan said stepping forward toward Mark standing very close. Steve felt his anger rise when Logan stood too close to Mark. “What did you hear?”  
“A few things. But the ones that stand out are you will sleep with anything. Not just anyone but even animals per the rumors. And also, make sure I take a large dose of penicillin if I don’t want to get an STI from you,” Mark said. Steve spat up some of his drink when he heard what Mark said.   
“Who said this to you?” Logan growled as his claws came out of his hands.  
“Anger usually shows some truth to it. It was mainly a guess on my part. Based on how you looked and carried yourself,” Mark said.   
Logan retracted his claws. “So being playful with me?” Logan said looking up at Mark.   
“Maybe,” Mark said taking another step forward making Logan feel his height. Steve felt his angry grow more and was about to step forward any moment when he saw how close Mark was standing to Logan.   
“I like your type. Always keeping me on my toes. And that is not just a joke about my height. I think we could have fun,” Logan said.   
“Not an option I am afraid,” Mark said stepping to the side and slowly walking toward Steve.   
“And why is that?” Logan said. Steve watched as Mark walked toward him smiling.   
“Because I am spoken for,” Mark said standing next to Steve. Mark saw Steve hesitate in showing any sign of affection, Mark didn’t question Steve, he just continued speaking. “I think you have better chances with someone else. And don’t think I want a third. I don’t do well sharing.” Logan put his hands up in surrender, “Alright I know when I lost.” Logan said walking away. “He is a lucky man.”   
Steve smiled when Logan said this and felt his face go red. Mark looked at Steve. “Now are you drunk or blushing?” Mark asked.   
“Maybe a little bit of both. You do enjoy doing that to me I see,” Steve said.   
“Making you blush or making you jealous? I swear I thought you were going to smash that bottle over his head,” Mark said.   
“If he made a move on you, I might have,” Steve confirmed. Mark laughed.  
“Well it was weird, it was like he didn’t realize I was talking about you at all,” Mark said. Steve looked away avoiding the topic as best he could without being rude. Mark seemed to take the hint and changed the topic.   
“So what do you think of the Rave?” Mark asked.   
“I feel bad for Tony. I couldn’t compete with anything like this for his bachelor party. This is far wilder than what I expected,” Steve said.   
“I am glad you aren’t scared fo what you saw so far,” Mark said.   
“I think being around you and Andrea helped me prepare for anything. I am more surprised at the people doing the acts instead of the acts themselves,” Steve said.   
“Referring to Clint and Natasha? Yeah, those two have definitely been the wildest ones here. I almost threw them out a few times, but Natasha knows she can play on my soft side and get away with it,” Mark said.   
“I should ask her how she does that. Maybe she could teach me a few skills to use your soft side against you,” Steve said. Mark poked Steve. “Ha, ha, very funny, like you need pointers on how to do that.”   
Steve laughed and hid a blush show before he remembered something. “Oh, Andrea said to remind you that you were getting something for her. She is on the dance floor.”  
“Yeah, I know. She has been very impatient with this stuff. We can get you another mead and head over there. She will be fine,” Mark said. Steve nodded and finished his drink. Mark walked with Steve to the booth and saw Thor was attacking another booth with his friends.   
“Andrea wasn’t kidding. Thor is attacking that like it's an enemy,” Steve said. Mark looked over to see the booth being broken down. Mark grabbed a bottle and handed it to Steve. “Yeah, I think that is the seventh one he broke with his friends. They see the alcohol as a victory. Let him have his fun. Thor deserves it.” Mark said smiling. Steve smiled as he opened his bottle and took a drink. He liked seeing this side of Mark when it came out. Always letting others be happy and managing the mess later. He let Steve be happy and managed the mess later many times. Steve didn’t know what he did to deserve someone who cared more about Steve’s happiness than his own.   
Steve followed Mark to the dance floor and looked for Andrea. It didn’t take long to find Andrea, especially when she jumped onto Mark.   
“You’re back! Did you get it?” Andrea asked.   
“I did,” Mark said reaching into his pockets and pulling out small gems.   
“What’s that?” Steve asked Mark.   
“Don’t worry Steve, they are legal. An alchemist here made them for people to enjoy the music more. I made sure it is all alright before even allowing it here. Even if we the police show up, nothing will happen. It's all herbs and minerals mixed well together,” Mark explained.  
“Oh,” Steve said as he saw Andrea grab one and put in her mouth. “It’s like a really good piece fo candy,” Andrea said. Mark put the other in his mouth. Steve looked to the two of them and finally asked. “Can I try?”   
Andrea and Mark looked at one another dumbfounded that Steve would ask. “I think we are a bad influence on him,” Andrea said.   
“We are a bad influence on everyone. Least we aren’t having him do what Clint and Natasha are doing,” Mark replied. Mark and Andrea looked at Steve and thought for a moment.   
“Well?” Steve asked.   
Mark turned to Andrea, “What do you think?”   
“It is legal, and he feels brave enough to try new things. Why not? It’s only one night,” Andrea said.   
“I agree,” Mark said stepping forward to Steve. Mark kissed Steve and put the gem in his mouth. Steve felt the gem in his mouth while Mark kissed him. Mark looked into Steve’s eyes after the kiss. “I will keep an eye on you, so just have fun,” Mark said.   
Steve moved the gem around in his mouth. Mark was right, it tasted like herbs and felt like a hard candy. Andrea squeaked and grabbed Steve by the hand. “Come on, let’s dance.”  
Steve followed Andrea but looked back at Mark, who was smiling at him. Steve smiled and looked forward to Andrea pulling him to the middle of the dance floor.   
Steve could feel the effects of the gem quickly working. Mainly the music felt as if it was moving his body. Steve felt the beat, vibrations, and all the instruments in the song. Andrea grabbed his hand and danced. Steve knew this was going to be a fun night for him.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14  
Mark  
It was the last day of the rave. Mark sat near the dance floor fighting sleep. He needed to remain awake for the whole three days to make sure everyone was fine. Mark watched as Andrea and Steve still danced on the dance floor with the few remaining people active in the rave. Mark looked around to see many people partied out and exhausted. Mark saw Natasha and Clint both sleeping next to one another on the grass. The only time he saw them together this whole weekend with no crazy sexual behaviors occurring. Mark did suspect a wild sex event occurred before they fell asleep though.   
“So the party is winding down?” Mark heard as he turned around to see Tony walking over to him.   
“How did you get in?” Mark asked as Tony took a seat next to Mark on the grass.   
“Well my major influence as Tony Stark allowed the guards to see a man, such as myself, should be allowed into a party like this,” Tony explained.   
“Uh huh. So how much did you bribe them with?” Mark asked.   
“About ten thousand each,” Tony said.   
“That’s about the price I figured it would take for you to get in,” Mark said with a smile. Tony looked over to the dance floor to see the last few people dancing. He then saw Steve and Andrea dancing.   
“So, did those two have fun?” Tony asked.   
“Yeah. As you can see they are still going,” Mark said. Tony looked closely at Andrea and Steve.   
“Did you give something to Steve?” Tony asked.   
“It’s fine. Well, actually it might not be fine. But he only took one, and he has been dancing like that for a day. But it's all natural. Some alchemist made it for the party,” Mark said.   
“Well, I am glad to see some blackmailing opportunity at least. Speaking of which, got anything good to show me?” Tony asked.   
“Sure do,” Mark said pulling out his phone. Mark pulled up one video on his phone and handed his phone to Tony.   
“Wow…is this? Clint and Natasha? Out in the open? Wow, I didn’t think Clint would be so dominating on Natasha. Or that she would allow it? Where this happened?” Tony asked.   
Mark looked around for a brief moment. “Right where you are sitting actually. One of the many places they did it this weekend,” Mark answered. Tony slipped trying to get up quickly to move his spot. Tony went to the other side of Mark, but before he sat down he asked, “Is it safe to sit here?”  
“I think so. I don’t think anything that happened in that spot,” Mark said.   
Tony sat down and looked to the dance floor. “So they had fun. That’s good. They both deserve it,” Tony said.   
“You make it sound like we sacrifice everything to make sure they are the happy ones. I had fun this weekend. I am just the managers this weekend, so I am tired,” Mark said.   
“I know you do the same as I do. You make sure the other person is happy, that’s all,” Tony said.   
“It scares me how well you know me already,” Mark said.   
“It’s been over a year with all the crazy stuff we have seen. I think I should know you very well by now,” Tony said.   
“You do raise a good point,” Mark said.   
Mark watched Steve and Andrea dancing as they sat there for a while. Then Andrea saw Tony sitting next to Mark and ran over. Andrea jumped on Tony rolling in the grass with him. “Tony! You’re here! Let’s go to the tents now!” Andrea shouted.   
“The what?” Tony asked.   
“I would just follow her if I were you, Tony. It will be one of the best nights for you,” Mark said.   
Tony raised an eyebrow, “Really?” Tony stood up pulling Andrea up with him. “Lead the way my unicorn princess,” Tony said. Andrea smiled big and pulled Tony near the tents. Mark watched them walk away and looked to see Steve walked over to him. Steve sat down next to Mark.   
“How are you not exhausted?” Mark asked.   
Steve shrugged his shoulders, “Super soldier serum?” Steve answered. Mark laughed. “Well, in that case, I am shocked Andrea kept up with you,” Mark said.   
Steve put his hand through Mark’s hair. Mark leaned against Steve and rested his head on Steve’s shoulders.   
“You are the exhausted one,” Steve said.   
“Well I had to make sure everything was fine while you all enjoyed the fun,” Mark said. “Are you still feeling the effects of that candy?” Mark asked.   
“I think it wore off for the most part,” Steve said rubbing his head. “It was an interesting experience.”  
“Well something to check off your bucket list now,” Mark said. Steve kept running his hand through Mark’s hair.   
“You are one of a kind, you know that?” Steve said. “I never would think to do the things I have done over the last year. It’s all thanks to you really.”  
“Am I being blamed for your bad behavior?” Mark asked.  
Steve bumped Mark on the head for the questions. “That’s not what I mean.”   
Mark leaned down and rested his head in Steve’s lap. Mark turned his head to look up at Steve. “What do you mean then?”  
Steve paused for a long moment before answering. “You know a lot of people have been asking me that question.”  
“Then it should be easy for you to answer by now,” Mark said quickly. Steve pulled on Mark’s hair for his witty reply.   
“You enjoy abusing me,” Mark said opening his eyes to glare at Steve. Steve leaned down to kiss Mark. “You know I would never want to hurt you,” Steve said.   
“I know,” Mark said smiling. “So what’s the answer to my question?”   
Steve laughed. “You know, I don’t even know how to describe it fully yet. You make things much more carefree. You being near me make things just better. I thought things were just the way there were supposed to be with Bucky. But when I met you, it was something deeper. I felt it the first day you were in the mansion when you shook my hand. There was something. I didn’t know it would be this.”  
“Took you over a year to figure it out?” Mark asked. Steve poked him for the comment. “You never listen to Andrea. Never ruin a snuggly moment.”  
Mark laughed, and slowly it went down. Both he and Steve stayed there for a good while enjoying one another’s company. Finally, Mark broke the silence. “Would you do anything differently?” Steve looked down to Mark’s curious eyes.   
Mark saw Steve thinking intently of the question. It took Steve a while to come up with an answer. “I wouldn’t fight it so much. I would allow myself to know this was a good thing. I think that is why I made so many mistakes. I didn’t let myself let you in because I was scared of how I felt. What about you?” Steve asked.   
Mark thought for a moment. “I would tell Fury no to joining the Avengers.” Steve grabbed Mark and poked his sides a lot for the comment.   
“Okay okay. I get it,” Mark said, and Steve stopped. Mark sat up and looked around. “I am not sure if it should be done differently. We went through a lot but made it out the other side together. I think going through hell let us know each other much better, and we aren’t the only ones who made it through the other side. Andrea and Tony made it out, and they are getting married,” Mark said as he turned to look at Natasha and Clint. “They made it out and realized they cared for one another and did not care to show it to the world. I think it happened how it should have happened. Pain and all.”  
“Poetic of you,” Steve said. Mark smiled at Steve before he stood up and reached out his hand to help Steve up.   
“We need to start the cleanup. I have food and water coming in for the stragglers. They will need it. Wake up those two and get water for yourself. I will meet you in the mansion. I am going to go to the tents and see who is left behind,” Mark said.   
“So meet you at the mansion with everyone?” Steve asked.   
“Yup,” Mark said. Steve stepped forward to hug Mark.   
“You really are the best thing to happen to me,” Steve said. Mark didn’t know what to say. He just buried his face more into Steve’s shoulder and hugged Steve back.   
“I finally got you to be speechless,” Steve said.   
“Shhhhh shut your face,” Mark said.   
“I am going to find the stragglers,” Steve said. He let go of Mark and walked over to Clint and Natasha first. Mark stood there for a long moment realizing Steve was right. He left him speechless. It was a rare moment indeed, and the world did not come to an end because of it. Mark turned around and went over to the tents. Mark noticed many of the tents were empty or damaged. He walked around and was happy to see people left the tents earlier than he planned. Mark only saw a few hopeless few left in the tents alone. Mark figured the ones who were sleeping with them were ashamed of their choice and left the person. Mark saw Logan in one tent alone. He laughed to himself and thought some poor soul was walking around with an STI right now. Accelerated healing meant Logan wouldn’t know he had something. People should really be more careful.  
Mark walked around and heard Andrea and Tony in a tent. He decided to sneak by and hear what new gossip those two were talking about in their tent. Mark walked up near the tent and sat quietly.   
“That…was…amazing. We need to get those gems for everyday use or at least for our wedding night,” Tony said. Andrea was laughing, and Mark held back vomit from the thought of what he just missed. He was glad he missed the great event Tony was clearly exhausted from.   
“So did you have a good night? Well, weekend?” Tony asked.  
“It was amazing! Sorry, Steve didn’t throw as big of celebrations as Mark did. Did you at least enjoy it?” Andrea asked.   
“It was good from what Steve is capable of doing,” Tony began. “It was simple, but I could tell Steve tried. We did end up at a strip club. But being here for a few hours makes me think I should have stayed in this tent with you all weekend.”  
“Well it was a good distraction from everything else going on,” Andrea said.   
“It sure was. So did you find any other news on your mission?” Tony asked.   
“Some. The more I am finding, the more I think my theory is right,” Andrea said. Mark leaned in listening to the conversation. He didn’t know what Andrea meant by theory. Mark assumed Andrea and Tony were looking up where Winter Soldier was hiding, but this seemed like different information.   
“So you were right about the brainwashing?” Tony asked.   
“Yeah, it looks like he had been brainwashed for a while. Whoever was keeping him at S.H.I.E.L.D. for that long was trying to get information out of him. Bucky was fighting back. The person needed to work the brainwashing the whole time Bucky was there to get the information out of him. I found a few tapes of a person interrogating Bucky. It’s bad Tony. And I am certain the person was a Hydra agent,” Andrea said.   
Mark fought back a gasp. He did not know what he heard right now.   
“So how long was Bucky brainwashed and what was his mission?” Tony asked.   
Mark could hear Andrea shifting in the tent. He prepared himself to jump to the side if she opened the tent. He didn’t hear her move and so he waited.   
“From what I gathered, Bucky was brainwashed for about four years. His mission focused on Steve. Take down the man behind Captain America. I looked back at the records. While Steve was with Bucky, missions failures were at an all-time high, and injuries on the team were as well. Steve wasn’t focused, Bucky did that,” Andrea explained.   
“Yeah, I remember those days. Alcohol helped with the physical pain,” Tony said.   
“Bucky is still brainwashed, Tony. And he isn’t getting revenge on Mark. Bucky’s mission has always been focused on Steve. Bucky went to kill Mark even though Red Skull had his powers. Bucky was programmed to hurt Steve in the biggest way possible. Steve can manage physical pain, but emotional pain is another story,” Andrea explained.   
Mark heard enough. Mark stood up and ripped the front of the tent open. Andrea squeaked and pulled the blanket to cover herself. Mark sat down at the entrance fo the tent.   
“Now, you are going to tell me everything you found out about Winter Soldier. Start from the beginning.”  
“Shit,” Tony said as Andrea looked shocked at Mark. Andrea let out a sigh. “Fine, you were bound to find out soon anyway. I will tell you everything I found out.”


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15  
Andrea  
Andrea walked into the restaurant with everyone else. They just finished the rehearsal for the wedding. It was time for the rehearsal dinner. Andrea wore a nice black dress for the occasion, she did not want to put too much attention on her cocktail dresses, especially when everyone gasps at the sight of her wedding dress. Andrea still was recovering from telling Mark everything she found out about Winter Soldier. She didn’t know how Mark would take the information. Mark found out Bucky was brainwashed while he was with Steve and everything Bucky was doing to Mark, was in fact to destroy Steve. Andrea tried to figure out more of Hydra’s plans, but she couldn’t get a hold of any more footage from S.H.I.E.L.D.   
Only 3 days of footage existed out of hundreds. Andrea pieced together all she could and gave the information to Fury. Mark and Fury went on a manhunt at S.H.I.E.L.D. to find any undercover Hydra agent. No leads turned up. Mark began the hunt for Bucky. Andrea wasn’t sure why Mark was hunting Bucky down harder than any of them. Steve didn’t know why the hunt was increasing, but he supported it mainly because he thought it was to ensure Mark’s safety. Really it was to get more information and to make sure Steve would be safe.   
Andrea carried these thoughts as she walked into the large area. Tony reserved the restaurant for the rehearsal dinner, and everyone was there. Tony waited for Andrea to sit next to him and join the dinner. Andrea looked to see Clint and Natasha there, Rhody was there at the table, Mark sat near Tony with Steve by his side. Thor was missing, but he always hated the formal dinners. He came to the rehearsal but left saying the only celebration he would be at would be the one after the ceremony. Andrea also suspected Thor was still recovering from the rave. Clint still couldn’t live down the videos Tony put up around the Mansion. Mark lived up to his word and provided Tony with a lot of blackmailing material.   
Andrea looked up as the waiters arrived. Everyone was served their choice for the evening, Andrea wanted the lobster but didn’t want to look like a savage cracking one open in front of everyone. She was surprised to see she was served a cracked open lobster. She looked to Tony, who winked at her. Andrea was the happiest woman in the room for many reasons, the reason right now was for the lobster.   
Andrea enjoyed the lobster and watched everyone else at the table. Andrea saw Rhody laughing with Clint, and she could not help but notice Natasha holding Clint’s hand at the table. It was nice to see they were finally public with what everyone had known for a long time. Andrea turned to see Steve and Tony talking about something, they were both loud and then she realized they were talking about baseball. Tony always loved getting Steve heated about the Dodgers. A team no longer in New York, but to Steve, they will always be part of his home state. Andrea saw Mark leaning back drinking his wine, smiling at the heated discussion. Andrea put her hand on Tony’s.  
“Why do you always get him so heated about this?” Andrea asked.   
“It’s baseball, what else should we talk about?” Tony asked.   
“He does bring up a good point,” Mark said lifting his glass to Tony.   
“Thank you. See even your best friend agrees,” Tony said.   
“I need to re-evaluate my friendships,” Andrea said. Steve laughed, and Mark slapped him on the shoulder.   
“Don’t encourage her,” Mark said. Mark turned back to Andrea. “We could always talk about work or the wedding rehearsal we just went to and how small this wedding party actually is,” Mark said.   
“The wedding won’t be small,” Tony said.   
Mark looked at Tony and then at Andrea. “It won’t?”  
“No, an Avenger Wedding is a big political thing. So we will have many high powered people and politicians there,” Tony answered.   
Mark nodded and added, “And since you are Tony Stark, I am sure many people showing support for Stark Industries will be there too.”  
“Exactly,” Tony confirmed.   
“How many people are actually going to the wedding?” Steve asked.   
Tony and Andrea looked at one another. They didn’t really confirm the number but the wedding would outside of the Avenger Mansion. “The space can hold up to two hundred people. So guess around that much,” Tony answered. Steve spit up his water when Tony answered.   
“Nervous? It isn’t even your wedding Steve,” Mark said. Andrea and Tony laughed. The others looked over to see Steve covered in water. They joined in the laughter.   
“I know it isn’t my wedding, but I would never think to have that many people. I think when I get married, I would want a small crowd, only close friends,” Steve said.   
Mark raised an eyebrow at Steve, “And who are you marrying?”   
Steve turned red at the question. Andrea froze wondering if the question was asked already. Judging by Steve’s reaction, he didn’t even think of when to ask Mark. Steve just stuttered and turned even redder.   
“I told you to watch out with him, Mark,” Tony said. “He would have another man on the side.” Steve looked up at Tony with his mouth open in shock.   
“You did warn me, Tony. I just didn’t think it was true. So who is the lucky man, Steve?” Mark asked. Steve glared at Mark and Andrea heard Clint laughing.   
“This is the best dinner ever,” Clint said. Then Andrea heard Natasha kick Clint under the table.   
“You two stop picking on Steve,” Andrea said.   
Steve went less red when Andrea stepped in to defend him.   
“So do you know the guy too Andrea?” Mark asked. Andrea threw her dinner roll at Mark hitting him in the head. Steve laughed at the sight. Andrea was happy to see Steve less anxious about the whole thing.   
“So Tony,” Rhody began, “How does it feel to finally have a woman put up with your nonsense?”  
“It feels great Rhody. How was last night with your regular lady?” Tony asked.   
“What regular lady?” Rhody asked.   
Tony lifted his left hand, “I think her name is Lucy. You and she have been together for years.” Andrea laughed at Tony’s joke, and Steve even let out a small laugh. Rhody then began to go at it with Tony, both exchanging jokes which Andrea tuned out. Andrea watched as she saw Steve say something to Mark and get up. Steve was walking out of the room and went up the stairs. Andrea knew the bathrooms were on this floor, so she decided to see where Steve was going.   
“I will be back,” Andrea said.   
“And miss me putting Rhody in his place?” Tony asked.   
“Like you ever do that,” Rhody said.   
“Boys go back to baseball,” Andrea said. Andrea walked by and turned to see everyone involved in the conversation. Andrea went up the stairs and looked around when she reached the top. She saw Steve out on the balcony. Andrea walked out on the balcony, and Steve turned to greet her with a smile.   
“Needed some air?” Andrea asked. “Want some company?”   
Steve didn’t say anything, he only nodded. Andrea stood next to Steve leaning against the banister. They both looked out into the city and stood there in silence for a while before Steve broke the silence.   
“When is the right time?” Steve asked.   
Andrea looked at Steve, “Right time for what?”   
“The right time to ask him?” Steve said. Steve pulled out a ring in his pocket and held it in his hand.   
“Is that the ring?” Andrea asked. Steve nodded and showed it to Andrea.   
“So it has part of your shield in it? And I am glad you went with the platinum,” Andrea said.   
Steve smiled. “Yes I went with the platinum, and it does have vibranium in it. My shield is in it. So when is the right time?”   
Andrea handed Steve back the ring and leaned against the banister again. “I can’t answer that for you, Steve. You will know the right moment. When did you think to ask him?”  
Steve thought for a long moment. “I thought of doing it at your wedding reception. Everyone would be there, I wanted it to be a happy day. What do you think?” Steve asked.   
Andrea held her hands to her mouth and let out a squeaky, “Yes!” Steve smiled at Andrea. “But I think you are right. You want it to be a happy day. Tony made it amazing, and you need to do it in your own way for Mark.”  
“You’re right,” Steve said. Andrea put her hand on Steve’s arm. “I am heading inside. Take all the time you need,” Andrea said as she walked in the restaurant.   
Andrea walked down the stairs and saw the table with Mark missing. Andrea looked around and saw Mark in another room on the phone. Andrea could tell from the animated way Mark was talking that the phone call was bad. Andrea walked over to the room but before she entered Mark hung up the phone and sat in a chair with his head low. Andrea opened the door. Mark looked up.   
“Hey, everything okay?” Andrea asked.   
“Not exactly,” Mark said.   
“Who was on the phone?” Andrea asked.   
“Fury. He was telling me about what they found out,” Mark leaned his head back on the chair. Andrea leaned against the door waiting for Mark to continue.   
“They confirmed your theory,” Mark said.   
“About Bucky?” Andrea said.   
“Since when did we stop calling him Winter Soldier?” Mark asked.   
“Sorry… it’s just knowing this stuff makes it seem bad to call him by his code name,” Andrea said.   
“I know, I know. But yeah. Bucky was brainwashed for three years and seven months. Minus about a year and two months from that and you have the time Steve was together with Bucky left,” Mark said.   
“Bucky was brainwashed the whole time he was with Steve. Steve never really had his friend back,” Andrea said.   
“Yup,” Mark said.   
Andrea looked at Mark, “Why are you so upset about this? Isn’t this good news for Steve? His friend was brainwashed, he could get his best friend back again.”  
Mark looked at Andrea, “And when Steve gets his best friend back for real, where does that leave me?” Mark asked.   
“I don’t get what you are asking. You sound jealous almost,” Andrea said.   
Mark sighed, “Not jealous, more worried. Remember Steve left me for Bucky before.”  
“When he was scared of how he felt about you and did dumb things. He still left Bucky for you and stayed,” Andrea heard herself shouting.   
“He left a brainwashed Bucky. What will Steve do when Bucky is fully back?” Mark asked raising his eyebrows. Andrea was about to speak but stopped herself. Mark was right. The Bucky that Steve left was the brainwashed Winter Soldier. Having Bucky completely back could be a different story.   
“Your silence shows me you think I am right,” Mark said.   
“Shut it,” Andrea said quickly. “Steve would never leave you. You know that.”  
Mark leaned forward and rested his head in his hands. “I want to believe it, but he misses Bucky. I don’t know what this will do. Maybe you are right, and I’m overreacting.”  
“Well you can ask Tony, I am always right,” Andrea said with a smile. “So what are you going to do?”   
“Right now? Collect myself and join back in the dinner,” Mark said.   
“Good, good. And in the long run?” Andrea asked.   
Mark thought for a long moment, and Andrea could tell he was thinking of what he will do. “Nothing else to do other than get Bucky back for Steve. He deserves his best friend back. Whatever happens, will happen. But I want him to be happy. And Steve being happy means his best friend is back.” Mark stood up and walked to the door. Andrea held it open for him.   
“It will be okay,” Andrea said.   
“I hope so. Either way, this is our mission. We will do this for Steve. But first your wedding,” Mark said with a smile.   
“My wedding indeed,” Andrea said following Mark. They walked back into the room and took their seats. Steve was back at the table. Andrea sat down and saw the dessert was out, and it was brownies with ice cream. She grabbed a spoon and tried to grab a bite. Tony used his spoon to stop Andrea, and she looked up mad at him. Tony took the scoop and fed it to Andrea smiling. She took the bite and smiled. Tony leaned in and kissed her on the lips. “You tasting like chocolate gives me ideas,” Tony said.   
“We are not making a mess with food, please,” Andrea said, and Tony let out a small laugh. Andrea looked over to Mark and Steve. Mark was lost in thought just moving the dessert on the plate. Andrea worried about what the future held for him. Then Steve took some ice cream and dabbed it on Mark’s nose. Mark turned and glared at Steve. Steve leaned in and kissed the ice cream off, and Mark laughed. Maybe she didn’t need to worry about him. Andrea saw Steve grab Mark’s hand and squeeze it.   
No, she didn’t need to worry.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16  
Tony  
Tony looked at the ceiling as he lied there in bed. He couldn’t sleep. He turned to his phone and turned it on. It read 3:45 am. Tony didn’t know if it was because today was his wedding or the fact he didn’t have Andrea sleeping next to him. Tony decided to blame both his nerves and Andrea not being in the bed. Tony decided to get up. Fighting sleep would just mean he would stay bored in bed for the rest of the night. Being awake meant he could get some work done, or at least try to find something to get him bored and tired. Maybe Steve was awake still and could tell him a boring story from his past.   
Tony decided to get out of bed and raid the refrigerator. Tony jumped out of bed and walked out of his room. Tony looked down the long hallway to the stairs. He began to think he should have put a kitchen near his room so he wouldn’t need to walk such a long way to way to get a snack. If anything the kitchen near his room would mean a short walk to coffee in the morning. Tony walked down the hallway as he thought of the plans to build a kitchen. Tony figured he could make a hidden kitchen in the wall. It was the only way Tony could think of to keep Clint out of the kitchen and always eating the food before Tony could get to it. Tony arrived at the stairs and dreaded leaving his warm bed at this moment. Tony looked around to see if any light was on in the hallways, but he saw nothing. Tony walked down the steps slowly wondering if it was such a great idea to build such a large mansion. Tony arrived at the kitchen and stood there for a while deciding what he would get. Tony decided to settle one what Steve always makes late at night, hot chocolate.   
Tony got the milk and the mix for the hot chocolate and began to make the drink. Tony could not really understand why he felt so anxious about the day coming up. He never let his nerves get the better of him before. Tony laughed a little while he mixed the hot milk with the chocolate powder. Tony Stark is nervous about marriage. It was the only thing which the gossip magazines would say put as the headlines for years. Even when Tony married Pepper, he did not feel this way. What he told Steve was truer than he realized. This was something much more serious than the marriage with Pepper. Tony felt more in this relationship than he did in any other woman. Tony felt his stomach get in a knot when he thought about what this meant to him. Tony decided it was best to just enjoy the hot chocolate and not let himself vomit the morning before his wedding.   
Tony poured the hot chocolate into a mug and put the pot in the sink. Tony grabbed the mug and took a sip. It wasn’t coffee, but the hot chocolate did help him feel better. Tony slowly walked into the foyer and began to walk up the stairs with his mug in hand. Tony looked up to see one light was on, but on the third floor. Tony didn’t know who was still awake at this time, but he decided to head on up to see who was in the training room. Tony walked up the steps and opened the door to the training room. Tony could see someone training in the simulation room.   
Tony walked over to look through the window. Tony designed the room to have all the state of the art training equipment. Tony made the blasters faster and better. The simulation included robots to fight but mainly to train agility in the simulation room as before. Tony took a sip of his hot chocolate as he looked at the person training. Mark was in the room with his sword drawn dodging the attacks. Tony did not know Mark trained himself to move so fast. Mark jumped from side to side dodging all the blasts firing at him. Mark blocked three shots with his sword before flipping backward to avoid four more blasts. Tony found himself watching how quickly Mark moved around the room. Tony never saw Mark move this fast after he lost his powers. Mark looked like he had been training for hours in this room. Tony began to wonder if Mark was training at night while Steve slept, this would explain the lack of breakfast in the morning. Steve never complained about having Mark in his bed longer in the morning. But Tony missed the chocolate chip pancakes.   
Tony took a sip of his drink as he walked over to the monitor. Tony nearly spit out his drink when he saw the console was set to max. Tony did not think this was humanly possible. Tony hit the computer screen to figure out the stats of Mark’s reaction times and speed. Mark somehow trained himself to the speed he was when he had his powers. Tony looked through the screen to see how long Mark had kept up this training exercise. Tony read on the monitor Mark had been training for two hours and fourteen minutes. Tony couldn’t believe his eyes when he read the information on the screen. Reaction time for Mark was 0.16 seconds. Mark deflected up to twelve bullets at once. Mark moved around the room faster than even Steve could. Tony slowly lifted his head from the monitor and looked into the training room. Mark was exhausted but looked nowhere near close to passing out. Tony saw Mark look over at him through the window. Tony waved at Mark. Mark hit the stop signal on the simulation.   
“Hey, can you let this thing go any higher?” Mark asked.   
Tony was shocked at the question. He didn’t think Mark wanted to level to go higher than it was on already. But Tony just smiled, “Of course, I can. I just need to override the system. What were you thinking?” Tony shouted.   
Mark thought for a moment. “If it is on ten, let’s see if I can handle fifteen.”  
Tony swallowed his hot chocolate hard. Fifteen would be double what Mark was at right now. Tony looked at the monitor and thought if he should do this.   
“Well, you gonna do it or not?” Mark asked.   
Tony sighed and smiled, “Give me a second.” Tony began to type and override the system. He made sure the emergency shut off was near him in case if he needed to use it. Tony broke into the system and got all systems ready to go double the pace and speed.   
“Ready?” Tony asked. Tony watched as Mark reached into his pocket and put on his headphones. Mark gave a thumbs up when he was ready, and Tony started the simulation.   
There was not enough time for Tony to even process the speed which Mark moved. The blasts came from all directions. Tony remembered Mark’s reaction speed, He could process this information. Tony watched as Mark dodged all the blasts as he flipped through the room. Mark landed and swung his sword with such speed, Tony could only see the blasts deflecting off the swords telling Tony Mark landed his hits. Tony could not understand how Mark got to this point. It was thought Mark was one of the few humans who could hold his own against Steve, now Tony thought Mark could easily take out the Hulk, Thor, and Steve all at once. Mark was becoming a powerhouse again.   
Tony watched at Mark dodging and deflecting the blasts. Mark took out a few of the cannons when he deflected the blasts back at them. Tony knew this meant the system would raise its attack more. Tony was fearful for anyone who went against Mark when he could move at this speed.   
It was only after fifteen minutes Tony began to see Mark wear down. Tony saw his moves slow down, and he was deflecting more shots with his sword than dodging. Finally, in the eighteenth minute, Mark was hit by a blast. Tony quickly shut off the system and let it cool down. Tony went to the door and walked in to see Mark catching his breath while on the floor.  
“Damn, I was just getting my rhythm too,” Mark said.   
“You know, you have been at this for almost three hours non-stop. I think it was a matter of time you got hit,” Tony said taking a sip of his drink.   
Mark slowly stood up and looked at Tony, “Well yeah. I lasted longer on the max level, though. Longest might be about five hours. Now that I know you can override the system, I don’t need to use these,” Mark said as he uncuffed something on his wrist. Tony watched as the wrapping fell hard to the ground. Mark did the same to his other wrist and to wrappings on his ankles.   
“How much weight did you have on each limb?” Tony asked.   
“About ten pounds,” Mark said with a smile. “I thought I would have to go up in the weight to help train my speed. But you letting me go past Max will do the trick.”  
Tony just stared at Mark with his jaw open. “Ten pounds? Each? Like an actual ten pounds on each wrist and ankle?”  
Mark laughed and reached down to grab what he uncuffed. Mark tossed the weight to Tony and Tony almost dropped it when he caught it. Mark wasn’t lying, it felt about ten pounds. Tony looked up at Mark from the weight.   
“And you wore this the whole time?” Tony asked. Mark nodded as he gathered the weights and tossed them to the side. Mark stood up and stretched from the workout.   
“What are you training for? Do we have some intergalactic being coming to kill us all and you will be representative from Earth to slay him?” Tony asked.   
Mark just shrugged his shoulders as he let his sword fold into his wrist cuffs. “I am just training.”  
“No one trains at three in the morning for multiple nights in a row just to get stronger. You have a reason, now spill,” Tony said.   
“You are awake for days at a time working on your stuff in the lab. Don’t judge me,” Mark said defensively.   
“For your information many of those nights it was Andrea and me busy on the couch in the old mansion working on our own special project together,” Tony said.   
Mark started at Tony. “Gross…I sat on that couch.”   
Tony laughed at Mark’s comment and walked over to the door holding it open for him. “So what are you training for?” Tony asked.   
Mark paused and looked at Tony. “To bring Bucky back here. To bring Steve his best friend back,” Mark said then walked through the door.   
“You’re serious about bringing Winter Soldier back here?” Tony asked.   
“His name is Bucky. And yes. I talked with Andrea many times about it since you guys told me about the brainwashing going on for years. Andrea is right. Bucky is who I need to bring back, not Winter Soldier. Steve deserves that.”  
“And it has nothing to do with you wondering if Steve will pick Bucky over you?” Tony asked. Mark paused in his steps at the question but didn’t respond. “Mark, he won’t. He loves you. He won’t pick anyone over you. I will be the first to admit Steve can be a stubborn asshole at times, but right now he is stubborn about how much he cares about you,” Tony explained.   
Mark continued walking to the side to grab a towel. “Still, he deserves his best friend back,” Mark said grabbing the towel and wiping his face.   
“I thought I was his best friend?” Tony asked.   
“Now are you worried he will pick Bucky over you?” Mark asked sarcastically.   
“Well come on. No one would ever pick anyone over Tony Stark,” Tony said. Mark let out a small laugh and sat against the wall.   
“He doesn’t know, does he?” Tony asked.   
“About which part?” Mark asked back.   
“All of it. The brainwashing, the training, you going on a crusade to save Bucky. Steve has no clue about any of it, does he?” Tony asked.   
“No. We agreed to not let him worry about Bucky. And don’t worry I am not leaving on another mission alone. I plan to do this right, with the Avengers. I just wanted to be prepared when we do find Bucky, it’s the only time we need to face him before he is back with us. I learned my lesson from Asgard,” Mark said.   
“That was a fun trip, though,” Tony said sitting down next to Mark. Tony saw Mark smile at his joke.   
“He won’t pick Bucky over you, I know he won’t. I had seen him when you were not around. He was a mess. He is realizing more each day how he was when you are not around. He knows what you mean to him,” Tony said.   
“Is it like you when Andrea is not around? Lack of sleep and trying to drink hot cocoa to get to bed?” Mark asked.   
“This is some damn good cocoa by the way,” Tony said taking a sip.   
Tony realized a period of silence hit them. Tony looked over at Mark, who was lost in thought. Tony decided not to break the silence and let Mark think, Tony knows when one is in thought it is best to leave the person there.   
“I don’t know if he will pick me over Bucky. He did before,” Mark finally said.   
“When he was dumb and scared and didn’t know how he felt about you,” Tony said.   
“Not the point. He might pick Bucky over me. The strange thing is, I would want him to be happy,” Mark said. Mark let out a sigh and leaned his head against the wall. “I am helpless.”   
“You are. But I think that’s why Steve won’t leave you. You only think of what is best for him. Admit it, you care for him so much you put his needs in front of your own,” Tony said with a smug look.   
Mark turned his head to look at Tony, “Wouldn’t the countless times I put my life on the line show that? I can admit it, but it isn’t right this moment I realized this as fact.”  
“When did you realize it as fact?” Tony asked.   
“Alright, heart to heart talk over,” Mark said as he stood up.   
“Hey now, that is not fair. You know when I cared for Andrea, and I am sure she told you when she cared about me. Why don’t I get to know this about you?” Tony asked.   
Mark slowly turned back to Tony and smiled. “It’s a long story. Just know it was before Steve got the super soldier serum. And yes, he knows the story and when I realized how special he was.”  
“You know. A bedtime story might help me sleep and be ready for my wedding which is only hours away,” Tony said in hopes of guilting Mark.   
“Are you really trying to get me to tell you a bedtime story? And this isn’t a boring story like one of Clint’s crazy wild party stories,” Mark said.   
“Oh, that would have been good to hear when I couldn’t sleep. Those always put me to sleep,” Tony said standing up. “Come on, I will listen to the tale of when Cap met the Assassin.”  
“He wasn’t the Cap then,” Mark said.   
“Either way, I am curious now,” Tony said walking to the door leading to the stairs.   
Mark shrugged his shoulders. “Fine,” Mark said following Tony. “But you are going to need another cup of hot cocoa.”  
“Good, you can make it. Steve says you make the best ones,” Tony said.   
“I feel you are saying that because you are too lazy to make another,” Mark said back to Tony.   
“You know me too well,” Tony said leading the way down the stairs.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17  
Mark  
Mark was walking through the mansion dressed in his suit. All things were set for the ceremony to begin, all they were waiting on was for Andrea to come down the stairs. Mark looked over to see both Natasha and Steve waiting to walk out as Maid of Honor and Best man. Steve was fidgeting with his suit and looked to be struggling with the pendant for his jacket. Tony opted to go with necklaces for the bridesmaids showing a symbol representing Lucinda the Technology Knight and a pendant for the men to pin on their jackets to show the Iron Man symbol. Mark walked over to Steve and put his hands on Steve’s.   
“Let me help,” Mark said. Steve looked up and nodded with a smile. Mark took off the pendant and then put it on making sure it looked good on Steve. Mark then fixed Steve’s cuffs and straightened out his vest and jacket.   
“Thanks,” Steve said. Mark took a step back to look at Steve. Natasha looked at Steve as well.   
“You know you are helpless without Mark,” Natasha said. Steve smiled at Natasha.   
“She is right, you are. Why are you so nervous anyway?” Mark asked.   
Steve looked back at Mark and hesitated for a moment before he spoke. “There are just a lot of people out there. I don’t want to ruin the big day is all. This means a lot to Tony and Andrea. I don’t want to trip or anything.”  
Mark brushed off some lint from Steve’s jacket. “If you trip then you would fit in perfectly with this wedding. You know Andrea and I are not exactly this high end. We embrace our flaws. Hell, she and I might be the one who fall walking down that long aisle. And you know we will be the first to laugh at ourselves.”  
Natasha laughed, and Steve looked over to her. “What? He is right. As long as we have known them, they are the first to be light-hearted about their flaws. And I have known Mark for a while, he doesn’t deny any of his flaws. It’s why we all act the way we do around him.”  
Steve looked up at Mark. “Is that why I can be myself around you without worrying?” Steve asked.   
“Maybe,” Mark said. “Natasha is right. We are all fools deep down, why not laugh at our foolish selves?”  
Steve smiled but still fidgeted from one foot to the other while he stood there waiting to walk out with Natasha.   
“Will you calm down, it will be all right,” Natasha said.   
“Sorry,” Steve said but still fidgeting while standing there.   
“Are you sure you are only nervous about going out there?” Mark asked. Steve looked up quickly and was shocked by the question. Mark took a step back wondering what was going on in Steve’s mind. “Is there something else you’re worried about?” Mark asked. Steve looked to be thinking quickly for a response. Mark waited and wonder what has Steve so anxious. Steve tried to form words, but nothing came out.   
“Andrea is coming,” Natasha said. Mark turned to see Andrea walking down the steps of the mansion. Mark grabbed Steve’s hand, “Hey, you will be alright. You look handsome, and people will want to marry you while you walk down that aisle.”  
Steve turned bright red as he looked down out of embarrassment. “You think so?” Steve asked.   
Mark kissed Steve on the forehead, and Steve looked up. “I know so, You guys need to get ready. Try to turn down that red face,” Mark said Steve smiled and let out a small laugh. Steve grabbed Natasha’s arm. “Ready?” Steve said to Natasha. Natasha nodded, and they took their place at the doors. Mark walked over to meet Andrea at the bottom of the stairs.   
“I wouldn’t expect any less from you in this type of wedding dress,” Mark said. Andrea walked over wearing a silver lace dress with sheer details. The shear showed off her legs while covering up all the naughty parts. The neckline was lower, and it hugged her body well showing off her curves and showing skin. Andrea turned as Mark said his words, showing the low back. Andrea loved the dress. It was perfect to match her and had many sparkles in the beading of the dress.   
“Are those diamonds?” Mark asked. Andrea smiled big. “They were just crystals, but Tony thought we should go the extra mile and put diamonds in this dress. This thing is over a million dollars thanks to Tony.”  
“And you love it you look like a shining jewel running through a field of unicorns,” Mark said.   
“YES!” Andrea squeaked. Andrea grabbed Mark’s hand, and they watched as the doors opened for Steve and Natasha to walk out. Mark looked around for a second. “Where is your bouquet?”   
Andrea pulled out a device and held it in her hands. A virtual reality flower show popped up in her hands with fairies flying around the virtual reality flowers.   
Mark glared at her, “You are ridiculous, you know that?”   
“It’s my wedding, and I will have the mystical wedding of my dreams,” Andrea said.   
“Are we riding in on a unicorn?” Mark asked.   
“I wish,” Andrea said as she walked over to the door. Mark stood next to her. “The big moment is finally here,” Mark said.   
“Bout damn time. And I swear, if there is an explosion when it is the moment for us to kiss, I will kill so many people,” Andrea said.   
“Noted,” Mark said as Andrea grabbed his arm. The doors opened, and Mark saw the long aisle for them to walk down. The aisle had arches with flowers and decorations showing a mystical meadow in a wondrous forest, perfect to fit Andrea’s theme. Mark and Andrea heard the classical music playing for the bride to walk down the aisle. They looked at one another and then forward walking to the song.   
Mark looked around at all the camera recording this wedding along with the guests, well over two hundred people were here. Mark then looked at the aisle and thought this would be torture to walk down this long aisle to this one song. Mark bit his lip, for now, he hoped it wasn’t as bad as it seemed.   
About one-quarter of the way there, Mark felt like stabbing himself in the eyes. He thought of multiple ways to do it as well. He felt Andrea pulling on his arm, and he heard her sigh. He knew she felt the same way.   
“You know, I never pictured us walking down with this classical song playing,” Mark said.   
“It’s tradition. Tony said it would be good to keep some tradition in the wedding.” Andrea whispered.   
“We are far from traditional. I am your best friend and your teacher in the arts of being an assassin. We are part of a superhero organization with a man who wears armor to fight, a super soldier who was frozen in ice, another assassin who finally admitted her attraction to Robin Hood, and a god of thunder. Explain what is traditional about this?” Mark asked.   
“You raise a very good point. So what are your thoughts?” Andrea asked.   
Mark thought for a moment. “Well you have your contacts in, what song did you want to play while you walked down the aisle?” Mark asked.  
“You know me too well,” Andrea said, and she blinked to activate her contacts. Andrea was quiet for a moment while she worked, Mark pulled her along to make sure she kept with the beat of the music.   
“Well?” Mark asked.   
“This is taking longer, I didn’t know how many speakers there would be here. I am hacking them now. Once we hit the center point of the aisle the song will change,” Andrea said.   
“Thank God,” Mark said. Mark and Andrea kept walking, and Mark looked around to everyone gasping at Andrea’s dress. The people were either shocked over the beauty of it or hating on Andrea showing off her body to them all. Either way, Mark knew Andrea loved every moment of it. Mark saw the middle archway, and they walked under it. The music cut out. Everyone looked around to figure out what was going on. Mark saw Tony looking around wondering as well. Andrea and Mark didn’t move. Mark saw Steve turn to look at them, and Mark just smiled at him. Steve smiled and put his hand on Tony’s shoulder and pointing in Mark’s direction. Tony looked over and shook his head when he saw Andrea smiling.   
The music began again but became a house remix of the classical “here comes the bride song.” Andrea took the lead and pulled Mark along dancing to the music. Everyone watched in confusion and awe as Andrea danced her way down the aisle. Mark joined in the dance, it was Andrea’s wedding after all, and this is the music he would expect her to play and for her to dance down the aisle of her wedding.   
Mark could see everyone smiling and beginning to dance or clap to the music. Andrea was enjoying herself, and it made the distance they needed to travel time much shorter with more fun involved in the aisle. When Andrea and Mark made it to the end of the aisle, Mark danced and handed Andrea off to Tony with a spin. Tony joined in the dance and dipped Andrea at the end of the song before helping her up to stand at the altar. Everyone cheered when the music ended as Tony and Andrea stood there. This was more of their style.   
Mark took a seat at the front and watched the wedding. He did not know many weddings which had a giant screen projector video broadcasting for everyone to see what was going on at the altar. This was not a typical wedding by any means, just as Tony said.   
Mark looked at the monitor, and it showed the crowd of people all the way back to the mansion. The distance didn’t look that long. Mark turned back and noticed it really was shorter than it felt, maybe the traditional ways were torture on him and Andrea.   
The giant screen television showed what was being broadcasted. It did a panning view of the crowd with the mansion in the background. Mark looked at the monitor, and his jaw dropped. Mark looked at his other team members, but no one must have seen what he did. Someone was in the mansion, and he saw the person through the window. Mark thought to himself for a moment. He didn’t know what would be the best option right now. He looked back at the mansion. Maybe it was someone else, a waiter or something. Then Mark saw a glare from a window of something reflective. Mark knew someone else was in there who was not part of the wedding party. He couldn’t let this wedding be ruined. Mark looked forward and saw everyone staring Andrea and Tony. Tony and Andrea looked forward at the altar. Mark decided he would face the wrath of Tony and Andrea for leaving if it meant saving this wedding. Mark slid to the end of the row and stood up. Mark knew Andrea would turn as soon as she saw him stand. And right on cue, Andrea turned as Mark stood up.   
Mark mouthed the word bathroom to Andrea. She nodded and turned back around. Mark knew the one excuse she would not be angry at him for was that. Mark rushed to the mansion. He walked through the doors and looked around the mansion. Mark slowly walked deeper into the mansion and kept his eyes open. He saw the reflection from the front window. The person had to be here somewhere.   
“Jarvis, are there any unauthorized persons in the mansion?” Mark asked.   
“No sir, only people known to the Avengers,” Jarvis answered. Mark froze for a moment. “Jarvis… is Bucky in the mansion?”   
Before Jarvis could answer, a punch came down at Mark. Mark dodged it and turned to see Winter Soldier standing there glaring at him. Mark held out his hand, and his wrist cuff formed his sword.   
“Master Barnes is in the building,” Jarvis answered.   
“Thanks,” Mark said as Bucky took a swing at Mark. Mark blocked the hit and swung back causing Bucky to jump back. Mark stepped forward and kicked Bucky sending him flying to the side.   
Mark kept his distance from Bucky. He wanted to bring Bucky in and get him back to normal, but he needed help.   
“Jarvis does anyone have their phone on them?” Mark asked as Bucky came in for an attack. Mark dodged the attack and punched Bucky in the face. Mark jumped back readying his sword to block another attack.   
“No one has their phone on their persons per Miss Andrea’s request. I have no way of contacting any of the team, sir,” Jarvis answered. Mark knew it was a long shot. He had no way of contacting anyone if they didn’t have their cell phone and he wanted to keep the cameras out of view. Mark saw Bucky get up and begin to run for the door to the crowd.   
“Jarvis, lock down the doors,” Mark shouted. The doors locked down, and Bucky froze in front of them. Bucky punched the doors, and this did nothing. Mark ran forward, and Bucky attacked. Mark blocked two hits and then punched Bucky knocking him to the ground. Mark then realized he could reach the team.   
“Jarvis, contact Andrea. She has her contacts on. Fill her in on what’s going on here. She will figure it out,” Mark said.   
“On it, Sir,” Jarvis said.   
Andrea stood at the altar, and she saw a flash meaning a message was being sent to her. She blinked and read the message from Jarvis. Andrea held back a gasp. She didn’t hear the Pastor as he spoke. Andrea was thinking of a how to get Mark help in the mansion. Andrea looked to her side, and she saw Steve looking at her. She was hoping he could understand without words. Andrea looked to Steve then to the empty spot in the front. Andrea looked back at Steve and then to the Mansion. Steve looked over at the mansion and then back at Andrea. Andrea nodded toward the mansion, and Steve’s eyes went big. Steve slowly stepped back and went to the side and began walking toward the mansion. Andrea knew Steve got the message.   
Mark swung his blade at Bucky, Bucky blocked the hit and pulled out a pistol. Mark quickly kicked Bucky back. When Bucky stabilized himself, he fired at Mark. Mark blocked each shot with his sword. Bucky looked over to the window. Mark was ready to block Bucky from running out and ruining the wedding. Then Mark heard the emergency door locks opening. Bucky shot his pistol at Mark while he ran at the door. Mark blocked the shots but couldn’t block Bucky from getting past him. The doors opened, and a serving tray came flying in at Bucky, hitting him in the stomach, and knocking him back to the other side of the room. Steve walked in through the door. The doors shut, and the emergency system locked down again.   
“So didn’t like the shield I made you all those years ago? Replaced it with a serving tray?” Mark asked.   
“I needed to improvise. I am surprised you asked for help, though,” Steve said.   
“Well we are taking him in, I can’t do it alone,” Mark said readying his sword. Bucky slowly got up and looked to the side at his gun on the ground. Mark threw a dagger knocking the gun far away from Bucky. Bucky looked up and then charged at Mark and Steve. Bucky was no match for the two of them together. Mark blocked the punches, and Steve came in punching Bucky. Slowly they were wearing him down. Bucky was knocked back by a punch from Steve. Mark watched as Bucky slowly stood up from the hit. Bucky was bleeding from the mouth, and he slowly wiped his jaw. Bucky reached to his belt pulling out another gun aiming it at Steve. Bucky took the shot, but Mark threw his sword blocking the bullet from hitting Steve. Mark’s sword fell near Bucky, and he picked it up. Bucky went after Steve with the sword. Steve dodged each swing and grabbed Bucky by the wrist.   
“Bucky, stop this. You don’t need to do this,” Steve said. Bucky looked at Steve with eyes filled only with rage.   
“He is not Bucky right now Steve. He hasn’t been for a while. He is brainwashed. He has been for about four years,” Mark shouted. Steve froze taking in the information. Steve looked back at Bucky noticing his best friend was not present. Bucky took the opportunity and kicked Steve back. Steve hit the wall and looked up to see Bucky coming in with a sword. Mark saw Bucky taking aim at Steve’s neck. Mark pushed Steve to the side, and Bucky put the sword through Mark’s shoulder and into the wall.   
Mark grabbed at the sword, but it was stuck in the wall. It must have gone through a support beam. He couldn’t grip it or pull it out fast enough. Mark watched as Bucky began to charge at him and Mark closed his eyes bracing for the hit.   
Mark heard a crash and saw the serving tray land near him. Bucky fell to the floor a few feet away. Steve ran at Bucky. Bucky stood up and took a few swings at Steve. Steve dodged the swings and began stepping backward to keep from getting hit.   
“Bucky, you don’t need to do this. I know you are still in there. You need to stop this. You need to come back to us,” Steve said as he dodged. Bucky then punched Steve, knocking him to the ground. Mark watched as Steve rolled to the ground. Steve was hit hard in the head. Mark looked to Bucky, who was slowly walking over to Steve.  
“This is going to hurt,” Mark said to himself. Mark turned his body while still impaled and put his feet against the wall. He held the sword and pulled hard dislodging it from the wall and falling to the floor. “Ow,” Mark said when he hit the floor. Mark quickly got up and ran toward Steve. Bucky raised his gun and fired at Steve. Mark came sliding in and blocked the bullet aimed for Steve’s neck. Winter Soldier was focused on killing Steve. Mark slowly stood up looking at Bucky.   
“What do you want?” Mark asked. Bucky looked into Mark’s eyes then to Mark’s blood-stained shirt. Bucky grabbed the shirt and ripped a piece off. “This,” Bucky said and pushed Mark back running for the side window. Bucky jumped out the window and ran. Mark watched as Bucky got away. He failed in his plan to get Bucky back. Mark dropped his sword and looked to Steve. Mark kneeled near him and held him up, “You okay?” Mark asked.   
Steve slowly opened his eyes and rubbed his head. “Just a major headache. Where is Bucky?” Steve asked.   
Mark looked to the broken window. “He got away.” Mark looked back at Steve, “Next time we will get him back.”  
“You’re hurt,” Steve said touching Mark’s wound.   
“No,” Mark said backing off. “You don’t have any blood on you. Head back to the wedding. I will get to the lab and get patched up and changed. Tony has a med room and robots in there to help me out. I will see you at the reception.”  
Steve slowly stood up and held a hand out to help Mark up. Mark took Steve’s hand and stood up.   
“You sure? I mean I am sure Tony and Andrea won’t mind,” Steve said.   
Mark smiled. “It’s their wedding. They will mind. Go. You are the best man. I did my part. I will be at the reception.”  
Steve leaned in and kissed Mark. “See you soon,” Steve said as he ran for the doors which opened as he approached. Steve left to join the ceremony. Mark let out a sigh and a yelp when he put his hand on his wound. Mark walked over to the lab and Jarvis opened the doors for him. “Thanks, Jarvis,” Mark said.   
“No problem sir. I have another shirt and jacket on their way for you as well. I will prep the med robots,” Jarvis responded. Mark walked down to the med room to get patched up.   
The wedding reception was huge. So much food, so much dancing, so many people. Andrea, Tony, and the wedding party all sat at the decorated table in the middle of the area. The tables all had the same themes from the wedding as the centerpiece, and Tony rigged the virtual reality simulators to display mystical creatures all around the area to give the feel of a magical reception.   
Mark walked into the reception and saw Andrea and Tony look his way. Mark did not look hurt, but everyone knew the bandages hidden under the tuxedo. Mark walked over to the table and saw Andrea stand up and walk toward him. Mark was ready to be yelled at and maybe receive a matching stab wound.   
Andrea stopped in front of Mark. She put her hand on his shoulder, and she saw Mark wince in pain. Andrea let out a sigh. “You really would take a stabbing to make sure my wedding isn’t ruined.”  
Mark slowly let down his guard. “Of course. Nothing was going to ruin this day for you and Tony. What is a stab wound as long as your day goes on without a problem,” Mark said.   
The lights went low, and the music began. Mark looked around confused.   
Andrea laughed. “You walked in just in time for the father-daughter dance. It's tradition remember? You walked me down the aisle.”  
“Oh,” Mark said as Andrea grabbed Mark's hand and pulled him to the dance floor. Mark tried to dance through the pain, but he could not move much with his freshly stitched wounds. Tony saw this, and after about a minute of dancing, he stepped in.  
“I think this is the part where I cut in and take her from you,” Tony said.   
“How much you offering? I think a dowry still needs to be paid,” Mark said, and Andrea squeezed his shoulder. “Ow,” Mark said. Tony took Andrea’s hand. “I think that’s the reaction he expected from you when he left the ceremony,” Tony said.   
“It was,” Mark added. Tony and Andrea danced off on the floor, and Mark walked to the side. Mark walked over to the bar area. Mark looked around wondering what to get as a drink when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Mark turned around.   
“I think we should dance,” A man said. Mark looked at the man and did not recognize him.   
“I’m sorry why would I dance with you?” Mark asked. The man laughed and grabbed Mark’s hand. Mark pulled away and glared at the man.   
“What’s wrong? You never said no to dancing with me before?” The man said.   
“Before? When did we dance before?” Mark asked.   
“Did you forget all the times you dance with me?” The man said. Mark looked at the man, and then a rush came over him “Steve, sorry,” Mark said as he held his head.   
“You okay?” Steve asked. Steve grabbed Mark’s hand, and Mark held on tight this time.   
“I…” Mark didn’t know how to explain what just happened. He blanked on Steve as a person. Not just the fact he was his boyfriend, but he did not recognize him at all.  
“Did you need water? Your wound is bad,” Steve asked. Mark looked up and smiled.   
“Yeah, I do. In the rush of getting ready for this, I forgot to hydrate. Maybe I am worse than I thought right now,” Mark said. Steve wrapped his other arm around Mark.   
“Come on, I will take you to the table and get you some water,” Steve said.   
Mark let himself lean on Steve more at that moment. “Thanks,” Mark said. Steve led Mark to his chair, and Mark sat down.   
“I will be right back with some water. Sorry, my glass is empty,” Steve said.   
“Alright,” Mark said, and Steve left him there at the table. Mark rested his head in his hand as he leaned on the table. What was going on? This wasn’t dehydration. He completely blanked on Steve for about thirty seconds. Something else was going on here. Mark thought of all the possibilities which could be going on then he felt a hand on his shoulder. Mark looked up to see Steve holding a glass of water. Mark took the water. “Thanks,” Mark said, and he took a drink.   
Steve kneeled near Mark. “Are you sure you are okay?” Steve asked. Mark could tell Steve was really concerned about him. “I will be okay,” Mark assured Steve.   
Steve gently put his hand on Mark’s hurt shoulder, “Is it bad?” Steve asked.   
“I did worse damage by twisting to get the sword out of the wall. Jarvis said there is no serious damage, but I will be sore for a while,” Mark answered.   
Steve pulled up a chair and sat next to Mark. Mark looked at him confused, “What are you doing?” Mark asked.   
“Just sitting here, keeping you company,” Steve answered.   
“That’s not fair on you,” Mark began. “You wanted to dance. We should dance.”  
Steve looked around at the large crowd. “I kind of forgot how many people were here. And you are hurt. I am fine sitting here with you,” Steve said.   
Mark let out a sigh and stood up. Mark grabbed Steve’s hand and pulled him along. Steve reluctantly followed Mark. “Where are we going?” Steve asked.   
“Somewhere we can dance,” Mark said smiling. Mark led Steve to a part of the mansion away from the crowd, but they could still hear the music.   
“You sure? I mean you are badly hurt,” Steve said standing there looking at Mark. Mark grabbed Steve’s hands.  
“I think I can trust you to make sure I am safe,” Mark said pulling Steve in close. “What do you say?”   
Steve smiled and leaned his forehead against Mark’s. “Yeah I would want that,” Steve said.   
“You are smiling a lot for someone who doesn’t like dancing,” Mark said.   
Steve kissed Mark. “So you dummy. I meant keeping you safe. I want to do that. I want you to trust me with that.”  
Mark smiled, “I do, Steve. Come on, let’s have some fun tonight,” Mark said. Mark rested his head on Steve’s shoulder while the slow song played. Mark let Steve keep him safe, especially after that scare he had minutes ago. Mark looked back at the crowd in the distance. He realized he could remember many of the faces he saw at the reception. He thought maybe it was just a fluke. Then a wave of panic went through Mark’s body. Mark knew Steve felt it. Steve pulled back.   
“You okay?” Steve asked.   
“I tried to move my shoulder for a second, sorry. I felt a lot of pain at once,” Mark lied. Steve believed him. Steve pulled Mark in gently and hugged him very softly. Mark hugged Steve back, and they both swayed to the song. Mark felt safe, at least he remembered Steve. Now if he could only remember whose wedding they were attending.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18  
Andrea  
Andrea was enjoying her day in the sun. Tony booked them a weeklong trip to the Philippines, which meant the sun, beach, bikini time, and lots and lots of sex. Andrea reached over to grab a drink and looked over to Tony. Tony was resting with his sunglasses still on only wearing swim trunks. Andrea felt like being playful and grabbed an ice cube from her drink and put it on Tony’s chest. Tony woke up and jumped knocking off the ice and spilled his drink on himself. Andrea laughed at Tony. Tony looked over and lowered his sunglasses to raise an eyebrow at Andrea. Andrea gave a mischievous smile to Tony and tossed another ice cube at him.   
Tony caught the ice cube in his hand. He leaned over and held himself over Andrea. Andrea smiled, and Tony leaned in and kissed her. Andrea kissed Tony deeply. Andrea let Tony run his hand through Andrea’s hair. Tony leaned back from the kiss and let Andrea rest on his chest.   
“So how does it feel?” Tony asked.   
“The beach? Or the sun? Both are beautiful. Unless you meant the kiss which was alright,” Andrea said playfully as Tony pulled her up for another kiss.   
“That one was better,” Andrea said.   
“Don’t lie, both were amazing. And I was asking about how it feels to be Tony Stark’s wife,” Tony said as he leaned back for Andrea to get comfortable.  
“I see it more as you being Andrea Silvio’s husband,” Andrea said with a smile.   
“Well I think it is wonderful being Andrea Silvio’s husband,” Tony said. “And any woman would love to be Tony Stark’s wife.”  
Andrea poked Tony for teasing her. Tony laughed as he made fun of Andrea. “Well there is only one woman for Tony Stark now,” Tony said.   
“Yeah, it’s best not to piss off an assassin when we are in a foreign country. Remember, no one will be able to find your body,” Andrea threatened.   
Tony hugged Andrea close, and she rested her head on Tony’s chest. “Let’s just rest here for a while. Like a month or so with no worries,” Tony said.   
“Sounds fine to me,” Andrea said. Andrea closed her eyes and let herself drift off to sleep with no worries on her mind.   
Andrea did not know how long she rested for, but she felt Tony shake her gently. “Hey, time to wake up. Plus your phone is blowing up,” Tony said.   
Andrea slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Tony smiling looking at her. Andrea smiled back, “What?” She asked. Tony waved Andrea’s phone in front of her, and she looked at it. The screen lite up again with another message. Andrea squinted to see it was from Mark. Andrea grabbed the phone and sat up stretching before she unlocked the phone to look at the message. Andrea grabbed her drink while she read the text message.   
Tony jumped up when he heard Andrea spit up her drink. “Everything okay?” Tony asked.   
Andrea slowly turned and looked at Tony. Andrea looked like she saw a ghost when she looked at Tony.   
“What happened? Tell me already. Did someone die?” Tony asked concerned at the expression Andrea was giving to him.   
“Worse,” Andrea said looking back at her phone. “I think…I think Mark cheated on Steve.”  
“What?” Tony said. Andrea handed Tony her phone. Tony read the message and slowly brought down the phone while connecting eyes with Andrea. “I don’t believe it,” Tony said.   
“Tony, he clearly says he woke up in bed with some strange man,” Andrea said looking at the message.   
“Well find out who the guy was,” Tony said.   
Andrea paused for a second while she thought of the idea to find out who the man was that Mark slept with. “Alright,” Andrea said as she typed the message. Andrea waited for the phone to ring when she sent the message. Tony handed her his water, and she took a sip of it. “Thanks,” Andrea said, and she saw her phone light up. She looked at it for a moment.   
“You gonna see?” Tony asked.   
“I am afraid I am going to kill the man he slept with after I kill Mark for doing this to Steve,” Andrea said. Andrea let out a sigh and reached for her phone. Andrea read the message.   
Tony couldn’t really gauge Andrea’s facial reaction when she the message. “What did Mark say?” Tony asked. Andrea tilted her head and looked like she read the message about five times before she looked up at Tony. “I think Mark got so drunk he forgot he was with Steve,” Andrea said.   
“What do you mean?” Tony asked and looked over to the phone. Andrea read the message out loud.   
“I don’t know. He is some military looking guy. He has blonde hair and is around my height,” Andrea said.   
Tony looked confused at the message and then looked at Andrea. Andrea shrugged her shoulders. She wrote a message back to Mark.   
“It sounds like you described Steve. Are you drunk right now?” Andrea wrote back to Mark.   
“He might be drunk or on something else he got from the alchemist,” Tony said.   
“I doubt he would do any of those things without me there to enjoy the fun with him,” Andrea said with a smug look.   
“No, but he might do it with Steve for fun. I mean you were wild that night in the tent. Steve might get just as wild,” Tony said.   
“Hmm,” Andrea began, “You do raise a good point. Also, we need to have a wild time soon. I think the nap helped me recover from our mid-morning sexy time.”   
The phone went off again, and Andrea checked it. “Yeah, I think he is drunk. He just wrote an unsure ‘no’ with an ellipse. He might be embarrassed we can tell he is drunk in the text. So he didn’t cheat on Steve. Unless Steve has a doppelganger we don’t know about,” Andrea said.   
“Have him take a picture. If it is Steve, it might be a good blackmailing opportunity if it is an embarrassing picture,” Tony said taking a sip of water.   
Andrea thought for a moment and wrote a message to Mark. “I believe that it is Steve, and I lack in the blackmailing department for him. This will be some good evidence.”  
“Yeah, not to mention Mark has plenty on us. If we get something on Steve, we might be able to use that to barter one of our many embarrassing pictures he has of us,” Tony said.   
“You mean all the ones he sent to me? Like the one, he got for you showing off in the speedo, and then it ripped?” Andrea said.   
“You don’t have that picture. You weren’t even there,” Tony said.   
“Nope but Mark got the picture for me and sent it as a present,” Andrea said as she pulled the picture up on her phone. Tony tried to reach for Andrea’s phone when he saw she had the picture of him when his speedos ripped on the beach last summer. “You are not allowed to have that,” Tony said.   
“But your bum looks so good Tony. I like it, I mean it looks better in person,” Andrea said with a smile. Tony smiled back at her and leaned in to kiss her. Tony wrapped his arm around her and brought her down slowly on the towel to embrace Andrea in his arms while he kissed her. They both heard Andrea’s phone go off and stopped out of curiosity. Andrea grabbed her phone and pulled up the picture Mark sent.   
“Huh,” Andrea said looking at the picture. “Well it is Steve for sure,” she said. “I just didn’t guess for him to be the type to sleep naked,” Andrea said.   
“Blackmail picture?” Tony asked.   
“Not so much,” Andrea said. Andrea showed Tony the picture. Steve lying in bed, and they could tell it was night time there. Steve was resting on the bed and the covers slowly falling off of him showing his butt in the picture.   
“Yeah, not much of a blackmailing picture for the average person, but to Steve…” Tony began.   
“He will blush red for about five days at the thought of other people seeing him naked. I know, but still. I wonder if we should be concerned about this hooker being such a hot mess. He got so drunk he forgot who Steve was?” Andrea asked.  
“I don’t know. It might be interesting to see Mark that drunk that he would forget who the love of his life was and more importantly think he cheated on him by actually sleeping with Steve. It makes for a very good mind game we could play on Mark,” Tony said.   
Andrea just gave a strange look to Tony. “I think Mark played a big enough mind game on himself that we are having difficulty following him. Anything we add might just destroy the fabric of time and space. Best just to tell him it is Steve, his boyfriend and for him to get some water cause he is shit-housed. He needs to go to bed next to that naked bum,” Andrea explained.   
“Yeah, you are right. I mean this is a funny story to tell. Have you ever seen Mark that drunk that he forgot who he slept with?” Tony asked.   
Andrea laughed, “Mark is not the type to be that drunk and bang whomever. He wouldn’t even look at another man since dating Steve. He never did anything like that when we lived together traveling the world for years. Not his style,” Andrea explained.   
“Shame, I thought I would have gotten a story out of you to use against him,” Tony said as he took another sip of water. Andrea wrote her message and sent it to Mark.   
“He will be fine, but you know what I have on my mind?” Andrea said as she crawled on top of Tony and looked into his eyes.   
“Another beach nap?” Tony asked with a coy smile.   
“Maybe later, but for now, why don’t we find a place we haven’t done it yet and have some fun?” Andrea said.   
“Why Mrs. Stark, are you trying to seduce me?” Tony asked.   
“I am well within my right to do so, especially since you convinced me to take your last name and didn’t want to share Silvio. So as payment, I get to have my way with you anytime I wish.”  
“I feel like that is the best deal I have ever made in my entire life,” Tony said as he leaned forward to kiss Andrea. “So where shall we go on this adventure?”   
Andrea looked around and saw a waterfall not far from them. She looked over to Tony, who followed her stare and nodded his head in agreement. Andrea stood up off of Tony, and she noticed his swim trunks were a little tighter than normal. Tony grabbed Andrea’s hand and led the way to the waterfall. Andrea and Tony laughed about Mark’s drunk night thinking he cheated on Steve. And then quickly shifted to thinking how many times they had sex while on their honeymoon. Both of them came to the conclusion they lost count after the second day. They both figured it was almost u to triple digits by now.   
Andrea felt her phone go off again and looked at the message. Mark wrote back he agreed he might be out of it, and he would get water and go back to bed. Andrea laughed, only Mark would leave her with a crazy story while she was on her honeymoon.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19   
Steve  
Steve nervously stood outside of the restaurant. He knew tonight was the night he wanted to ask Mark. Steve fidgeted from one foot to the other as he waited outside of the place he was going to meet Mark. Steve never felt this nervous before. He was planning on asking Mark a very important question tonight. Steve felt butterflies in his stomach as he thought about the question and Mark’s reaction. He did not know what Mark would think of the whole thing. Steve couldn’t really compete with the flashy showmanship Tony did for Andrea, but Steve liked the more humbling ideas and approach. He figured Mark would love the idea of Steve proposing in the restaurant which took Mark months to convince Steve to try.   
Steve reached into his pocket and felt the box which held the precious ring. Steve pulled out the box and opened it looking at the ring. Steve stared at it for a long while and thought of everything it meant to him. Steve felt he was finally able to let someone understand him. Steve let himself come out of his shell and be more of the person he remembered back in Brooklyn. Steve always tried to hide that side of himself, especially since becoming Captain America. He did not want people to ever associate how he was back then to the person he is now. Since meeting Mark, he let that side of himself out. He laughed more, joked around more, let himself be the scrawny little kid from Brooklyn, and not regret it. He had Mark to thank for showing him he could be his whole self and be cared for and accepted. He wanted this more than anything.   
Steve let out a big sigh and put the ring in his pocket. Steve entered the restaurant and asked for the reserved table he got for him and Mark. Steve looked at the view of the city as he sat down. He knew this was the best seat in the restaurant, and he was happy to get the table. The window overlooked the skyline of the city. Steve remembered how much Mark would look at the skyline out of the window or while sitting on top of the Avenger Mansion. Mark would stare at the skyline getting lost in thought at its wonder. Steve always loved the expression Mark made when he did this and tried to capture it in a sketch, but never could get it down.   
The waiter came by, and Steve only asked for water. Steve wanted to wait until Mark arrived before ordering. Truthfully, Steve never knew what to order here. It was a high-end Sushi restaurant which Mark wanted to take Steve to for a while. Steve worried about eating sushi but finally agreed to go and try it. Steve was surprised he would love the food, it was mainly because Mark ordered cooked sushi for Steve. Steve couldn’t really read the menu. He felt embarrassed about this, but Mark never let Steve feel bad. Mark would order new things for Steve to try there and he always loved everything they got. Steve felt this was a good place to signify a change in their relationship, to the next step.   
Steve took a sip from his water and looked at his watch. Steve arrived early, which may have been because of his nerves. Steve actually arrived an hour early and only entered the restaurant after standing outside for forty-five minutes. Steve was never really good with waiting especially for something as important to him as this. Steve just drank his water and looked out the window. Steve couldn’t help but imagine the different ways Mark would take all this. Steve felt his face turn red, and he noticed he was smiling big as he thought of the whole thing. Steve looked down at his watch and knew Mark would be coming soon. He asked Mark this morning to meet him here for dinner.   
Steve hoped he didn’t give anything away when he asked Mark to dinner. Steve stuttered the whole time while he spoke and felt his feet shift when he waited for Mark to answer. Steve was facing a stare from Mark when he began to shift from one foot to the other as he waited. And then Steve saw a smile. Steve felt all his worries go away when he saw Mark smiling and laughing. He was able to stand there without fidgeting, and Mark said he would meet him for dinner at the restaurant. Steve felt butterflies in his stomach from that moment onward.   
Steve looked at his watch again and noticed the time getting later. Steve didn’t know what was going on. Mark is known to be late, but he was never late when it came to meeting Steve. Steve decided it must have been something else going on to hold Mark up. Steve continued to wait as the time passed. Steve looked at his watch and noticed it was a good hour from when Mark said he would meet Steve. Mark would have at least called Steve to let him know he was late. Steve reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.   
Steve pulled up Mark’s name and dialed his number. Steve worried that a mission occurred. Steve then began to worry something happened to Mark. Steve felt his worry increase with each passing ring.   
“Hello?” Mark answered.   
“Hey, you’re okay,” Steve said.   
“Of course, I am. Why wouldn’t I be?” Mark asked. “Are you okay, Steve?”  
“Yeah, I am. I just thought you were called away onto a mission. So where are you?” Steve asked.   
“Um…” Mark hesitated. “I’m in the kitchen. I thought you would be home soon, so I was looking for something to make us.”  
Steve felt a knot in his stomach. “We…we had plans. Did you forget?”  
“We did?” Mark asked, and Steve heard the confusion in Mark’s voice.   
“I asked you to meet me at the sushi restaurant we always go to. I asked you this morning. I… I didn’t think you would forget,” Steve said.   
There was a long pause on the phone. Steve felt nervous as he let the silence pass. “Steve, I forgot. I am so sorry. How long have you been waiting?” Mark asked while shouting on the phone.   
“Not that long actually…” Steve lied, and another silence came on the phone.   
“You’re lying. You know I was an asshole for not showing up. Don’t lie, you should be mad at me,” Mark said.   
Steve sighed. “I’m not mad, I was just looking forward to tonight is all. I can always come back home, and we can make dinner,” Steve said.   
“I still feel horrible. What else did you want to do after the dinner?” Mark ask.  
Steve thought for a long moment. He figured they would go back to the Avenger Mansion and spend the night together. He did want to do something fun to possibly salvage the night. Steve knew he wouldn’t be able to ask Mark the question tonight.   
“We can always meet out somewhere. I don’t know, we could meet at a bar or something,” Steve said. He felt weird asking as soon as he asked the question.   
“Steve Rogers, are you asking to go out to a public place where many obscene things go on?” Mark asked. Steve cracked a smile while on the phone.   
“Maybe I am. What can I say, maybe I am hoping for a wild night with you,” Steve said.   
“I think I am a bad influence on you,” Mark said.   
“Yes you are, but I enjoy it,” Steve said.   
“So meet you out somewhere? Just us?” Mark asked.   
Steve thought for a moment. He felt the ring in his pocket and decided to just have a fun night and save the question for a special night. “See if Natasha and Clint want to join. I will meet you guys at the last bar we went,” Steve said.   
“Which was…?” Mark asked.   
Steve laughed. “The Spotlight,” Steve answered.   
“Alright, I will tell them. Grab a bite somewhere, and we will see you in a while,” Mark said.   
“See you soon,” Steve said.   
“Love ya,” Mark said, “Oh and…sorry I messed up our date.”   
Steve smiled big on the phone. “Love you, too,” Steve said “And it’s okay. Another time. See you soon,” and Steve hung up the phone.   
Steve stood up and went to the hostess and apologized for the night. The hostess was kind enough to not charge Steve for the night. Steve left the restaurant and decided to go grab a pizza slice. Steve knew of a good spot on the way, and so he walked down the street to the direction of the pizza shop. Steve arrived shortly and ordered a plain cheese slice. The slices here were larger than normal, and he knew it would hold him over for the night. Steve paid for the pizza and walked out of the shop and ate while he walked. It was a long walk to the bar. Steve thought of what he hoped this night was going to be and how much it changed into something else. Steve finished the pizza and threw the napkin in a nearby trash can. Steve reached into his pocket as he continued his walk. Steve pulled out the ring from his pocket and looked at it as he walked. He was hoping to give this ring to Mark tonight. He felt so much anxiety around asking the question, and it all ended with Mark forgetting the plans.   
Steve found it odd Mark was forgetting things recently. Steve didn’t know what it was about. It was so strange. Mark would be absent-minded about everything. There would be a few moments Mark would stare blankly at Steve, almost like he didn’t know who he was. It made Steve worried. Steve didn’t know what was going on in those moments. He just hoped it was something from the stress of everything going on in the past few weeks. Mark was trying to find Bucky, and Steve knew he did it for him. Steve didn’t want Mark to continue to wear himself out.   
Steve paused as he looked up seeing the sign to The Spotlight. Steve put the ring back in his pocket and pulled out his phone. Steve saw a message from Mark.   
“We are inside, Natasha and Clint came along. We are near the bar,” Mark wrote to Steve. Steve put his phone away and went inside.   
Steve looked around and tried to spot the three fo them. Steve saw Clint and waved to him. Clint walked over to Steve.   
“Hey, sorry Mark completely ruined your big night. I don’t know what is up with him lately,” Clint said.   
Natasha walked up and slapped Clint on the shoulder.   
“What?” Clint said looking over to Natasha as he rubbed his arm.   
“You can be so dense sometimes,” Natasha said to Clint. Natasha turned to Steve, “You okay?”  
Steve nodded. Honestly, he didn’t know how to feel about the whole thing. He did feel sad about not being able to have the whole night he planned. Steve spent a while figuring out the best way to ask Mark the question. Steve looked around to try and find Mark.   
“He’s over at the bar,” Natasha said. “Go ahead, we’ll be on the dance floor.”  
“Unless you want to leave more bruises on me,” Clint said.   
“You haven’t complained before,” Natasha said while raising an eyebrow. Steve’s eyes went wide when Natasha said this. Steve slowly turned to look at Clint.   
“What? Don’t judge me,” Clint said. Steve laughed. Natasha grabbed Clint by the arm and led him to the dance floor. Steve watched as they walked away and he looked over at the bar. Steve saw Mark over at the bar waiting for a drink. Steve began to walk over as he saw Mark grab his drink and take a sip. Steve wrapped his arm around Mark.   
“Hey there,” Steve said.   
Steve was greeted by the Mark leaning away from him. “Um hi…stranger. Can I help you?” Mark asked.   
Steve felt a little uneasy by Mark’s response. He thought it was a joke, but Mark looked serious.   
“Very funny,” Steve said as he leaned in to kiss, Mark. Mark leaned back.   
“Um, again, hi stranger. Do you always kiss random guys at a bar?” Steve took a step back. He did not know how to respond to Mark.   
“I’m not a stranger, I’m your boyfriend,” Steve said. Mark gave a confused look as he looked Steve up and down. Then Mark let out a laugh. “Okay, if you say so,” Mark said turning back to the bar and taking a drink.   
“What’s up with you?” Steve asked.   
“Up with me? You walked up to me claiming to be my boyfriend. Nice to meet you but I don’t deal with the cray ones,” Mark said.   
Steve stood there stunned. He didn’t know what to do. Steve took a step back again, and he felt a hand on his shoulder. Natasha stood there and mouthed, “Are you alright?” Steve shook his head. He didn’t know what to think of the situation. Natasha walked up to Mark.   
“What’s up?” Natasha asked.   
“Well, you missed some crazy man claiming to be in a relationship with me. He just walked over and put his arm around me, then tried to kiss me,” Mark said.   
“That him? The man just five feet away who can hear everything you’re saying?” Natasha asked.   
Mark looked over to Steve and back at Natasha. “I should be concerned?” Mark asked.   
“Well, maybe he is in a relationship with you?” Natasha said. Mark laughed.   
“Really Natasha? A blond, muscle head, military man? He looks like he spends more time in the gym than he does reading. Since when has that ever been my type?” Mark said.   
Steve felt a strong pain in his stomach. He watched as Natasha slapped Mark on the back of the head. Natasha grabbed Mark’s drink and smelled it. She then poured it out.   
“Ow, what is that for?” Mark asked.   
“Cause he is your boyfriend,” Natasha said.   
Mark looked over to Steve and crossed his arms. “Okay, I’ll bite. Prove it to me,” Mark said. Natasha took a step back and gestured to Mark, signaling Steve to prove it.   
Steve stood there and wasn’t sure what he could do to prove it. Steve slowly stepped forward then hesitated and froze.   
“Well?” Mark asked. Steve took in a deep breath and grabbed Mark’s hand. Mark looked at their hands, and Steve saw something going on in Mark’s head. Steve saw Mark realizing he was feeling something. Mark looked up from their hands to Steve’s eyes. Steve stepped forward and kissed Mark. Steve stepped back and saw Mark stand there stunned.   
“Did that prove it?” Steve asked. Mark looked into Steve’s eyes, and slowly he formed a smile.   
Mark leaned in and kissed Steve. Natasha leaned back with her arms crossed nodding at the situation.   
“You have been so weird lately, is everything okay?” Steve asked. Mark leaned in a hugged Steve. “Sorry, I don’t know what’s been up with me. I just know I have been a pain in the butt to you,” Mark said.   
“You have been, but I forgive you. Least you are my pain in the butt,” Steve said.   
“Gross,” Clint said as he walked up to them. Natasha slapped Clint again. “What?”   
“Context, you took it out of context,” Natasha explained.   
Steve laughed and hugged Mark tighter. “Ready for some fun?” Steve asked. Mark nodded.   
Steve and Mark spent the night having fun switching between relaxing, kissing, and dancing. Steve remembered little of the actual night. Steve woke up exhausted in his bed. He was more tired from eating very little and spending the whole night out with Mark, Natasha, and Clint. Steve turned in the bed hoping to see Mark. The bed was empty. Steve was still getting used to Mark not being in bed in the morning. Steve sat up, “Jarvis, where is Mark?” Steve asked.   
“I am afraid Master Mark left earlier this morning,” Jarvis answered. Steve scratched his head as he thought for a moment. “Do you know where he went, Jarvis?” Steve asked.   
“Master Mark is only a few blocks away. I can send you his location,” Jarvis said.   
Steve paused for a moment and decided to get dressed. Steve was putting on his shirt and pants. “Jarvis is Mark still in the same spot?” Steve asked.   
“Master Mark has been at that spot for over an hour now. I sent the location to you Master Rogers since I assume you are going to find Master Mark anyway,” Jarvis said.   
Steve saw his phone light up, and he looked at where Mark was. Mark was sitting in the cemetery he took Steve to over a year ago. Steve felt curious about this. He put on his boots and left the room. Steve walked down the hall and down the stairs. He looked around and heard no noise in the house. He figured Clint and Natasha were sleeping off their hangover right now.   
Steve walked out of the mansion and down the street. It took about fifteen minutes to get to the cemetery. Steve looked around and saw Mark sitting in the grass. Steve stood there for a moment wondering what he should do. Steve took in a breath and began to walk over to Mark. Steve saw Mark look over to him as he came closer.   
“Sorry, Are you here to see him?” Mark asked. Steve looked at Mark, who did not even seem to recognize him. Steve decided to not fight it and see what was really going on. “No, I don’t really know him. Someone really close to me did, though. He told me how much David meant to him,” Steve said as he sat next to Mark. Mark moved over to make room for Steve. Steve didn’t like the distance between them.   
“So did you know him?” Steve asked.   
Mark paused for a moment before answering. “I’m not sure. Something drew me to this place. I am not sure what it was. I remember something about this grave, and someone else really important to me. Feels silly right?” Mark said as he laughed. “I just had something drawing me here. Like I told that important someone something very special. I must sound crazy.”  
Steve smiled. Mark did tell someone important something very special here. This is where Mark said he loved Steve for the first time. “It doesn’t sound crazy. It sounds like something really important to you,” Steve said. Mark smiled at Steve. “Thanks,” Mark said.   
Steve and Mark sat there for a while before Mark broke the silence. “So what brings you here?” Mark asked.   
“Trying to figure things out. I am not sure what is going on with my boyfriend. He has been absentminded lately and forgetting a lot of things. So I came here to maybe figure it out,” Steve said.   
Mark nodded, “Do you need some privacy with David?” Mark said gesturing to the grave.   
“No, no. I’m good,” Steve said.   
“Okay,” Mark said. “Is it bad?”  
“I don’t know. Like I said something is going on with him. I am just trying to figure out what,” Steve said.   
“He’s lucky you care enough to try and figure out how to help him,” Mark said. Steve felt like this whole conversation was weird. He was talking to Mark about Mark, but Mark didn’t realize any of it. It made Steve’s head hurt.   
“Thanks. I think I am the lucky one ever since he came into my life,” Steve said.   
“Would be nice to have a boyfriend like you around. Doing so much to help out the person you care about. Hard to find that,” Mark said.   
Steve smiled and let out a small laugh at the irony. He decided to have a little fun with the situation.   
“What is it hard to find blond, military, muscle heads who spend more time in the gym than the books?” Steve asked. Mark looked wide-eyed at Steve and then burst into laughter.   
“Wow, that was creepy. It was like you know the opposite of my type. But… you seem different,” Mark said.   
“I do?” Steve asked curiously.   
“Calm down, I am not a home wrecker. But you seem to break the mold. Always interesting when someone does that. Those types of guys are even harder to find, and of course, you are taken. I think you would have been interesting to know in another life,” Mark said.   
“I guess so,” Steve answered. “By the way, I am Steve, who are you?”  
Mark paused when Steve asked the question. “This is going to sound weird,” Mark began, “But I don’t remember.”  
Steve grabbed Mark’s hand, and Mark looked up at Steve. “Your name is Mark,” Steve said. Mark looked into Steve’s eyes for a long moment. Then Mark grabbed his head and looked as though he was extreme pain. Steve held Mark up as he watched this happen. “You okay?” Steve asked.   
Mark grabbed Steve’s arm and held on very tight. “Yeah, just hurts every time my memories come back. It's like a system overload. Its been getting worse each time it happens,” Mark said. Steve wrapped his arm around Mark and held him tight.   
“What is going on?” Steve asked.   
Mark let out a sigh, “I am not sure. I have been losing my memories more and more lately. It sucks.”  
“When did it begin?” Steve asked.   
“I have been losing my memories, I can’t remember Steve,” Mark answered.   
Steve smiled, “Sorry, you’re right.”  
Steve felt Mark bury his head in his shoulder. Steve looked to see tears in Mark’s eyes. “What’s wrong?” Steve asked.   
“Steve, I am losing my memories. I’m sure I’ve messed things up over the last few weeks by being a pain in the ass to you. I didn’t mean anything by it. And…” Mark stopped mid-sentence.   
Steve ran his hand through Mark’s hair. “What?” Steve asked.   
“And this is my worse nightmare… I am losing my memory of everyone. Worst of all, I am losing my memory of you,” Mark said. Steve hugged Mark, and he felt Mark cry in his arms.   
“It will be okay. We will figure it out,” Steve said as he squeezed Mark.   
“Did I mess up bad? ” Mark asked. Steve thought of the other night and Mark forgetting about the big dinner Steve planned. Or when Mark thought Steve was not his boyfriend. “No, you didn’t do anything bad. You’ve been absent minded lately is all,” Steve lied.   
Steve felt Mark squeeze him, “You are a horrible liar,” Mark said. “Thanks, Steve.” Steve rested his head on Mark’s head. “We will figure this out, Mark. We just need to see if S.H.I.E.L.D. can find anything. They can run some tests.”  
Mark nodded and then Steve’s phone went off. Steve grabbed his phone and saw it was from S.H.I.E.L.D. “We have an emergency,” Steve said.   
“Well we need to head out,” Mark said leaning back and beginning to get up. Steve looked up at Mark. “Are you sure you are up to it?” Steve asked.   
“We’re Avengers,” Mark said reaching his hand out for Steve. Steve grabbed Mark’s hand, and Mark pulled Steve up. “I will okay.”  
Steve was unsure, but his phone went off again.   
“Andrea and Tony are out of the country. We need to go. I promise I will go to S.H.I.E.L.D. right after with you,” Mark said.   
Steve looked into Mark’s eyes, “Promise?” Steve asked.   
“I promise,” Mark said.   
“You probably won’t remember this,” Steve said with a smile.   
“Really? Jokes now? The sad thing is, you are probably right,” Mark said. Steve laughed as he grabbed Mark’s hand. Steve stood there for a moment looking at Mark. “We will figure this out,” Steve said. Mark didn’t say any words, he only nodded as he looked away. Steve held Mark’s hand tightly as they ran back to the mansion to see the emergency.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20  
Mark  
Mark stood on the rooftop looking over the city. He saw the attackers going toward the hospital building. Mark couldn’t tell who they were, but he knew this would not end well for those infiltrating the hospital. Mark felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Captain America standing there with a smile.   
“Are you alright?” Captain America asked. Mark looked down and thought for a long moment. Then Mark looked to the group of men going into the medical building.   
“No, but I don’t have time to be not okay. We have to do this or else people will get hurt,” Mark said.   
Captain America moved his hand to Mark’s back and stepped closer. “I will make sure you’re safe. Nothing will happen to you,” Captain America said.   
Mark smiled at Captain America and looked over to see Black Widow and Hawkeye closing in on another group on the other side of the medical building.   
“We need to head out,” Mark said as he formed his two swords in his hands and jumped off the side of the building. Mark used his swords to stab the side of the building to slow his fall and land safely on the ground. Captain America jumped down the fire escape and landed near Mark.   
“You are such a show off Creed,” Captain America said. Mark smiled at him and looked at the group of henchmen. Captain America assessed the situation from their view.   
“We need to take them out and figure out what they are up to here,” Captain America said.   
“It’s a medical facility, most likely the building holds something inside they want,” Mark said and then looked at the henchmen’s weapons. “Semi-automatic rifles. I count four on our side. I think there were seven on the other. We can use this to our advantage.”  
Captain America looked at Mark, “What do you have planned?”   
“Well, we don’t know how many are inside. I can break in and figure that out…”   
“Creed, no. You are not putting yourself in…” as Captain America spoke Mark ran toward the group of henchmen. Captain America sighed. “I guess your plan will work.” Captain America ran behind Mark.   
Mark jumped from side to side to dodge the bullets. Mark folded back one sword and used the other to deflect the bullets. Mark managed to deflect a bullet back to one henchman taking him out. Mark ran on a car and jumped throwing a dagger at one of the henchmen hitting him in the neck. Mark landed and slide to dodge the other bullets. Mark then jumped and crashed through the glass front doors. Mark rolled as he hit the ground and saw Captain America catching up. Captain America threw his shield to ricochet from one man to another before catching his shield again. Captain America paused to look at Mark.   
“You know Creed, there could have been an easier way to get in,” Captain America said.  
“But what fun would that be?” Mark said back to him with a smile. Captain America shook his head and smiled. Mark saw someone taking aim at Captain America. Mark formed a dagger and threw it toward the gun, the knife went through the scope hitting the gunman. Captain America turned to see three other men coming in at them. Captain America held up his shield up and took cover behind a car.   
Mark held his hand to the Comlink. “Steve, I am going in to see what they are up to. Will you be okay?” Mark asked.   
“Creed, use code names while in the field. I will be fine. Go on ahead,” Captain America said.   
“Sorry, Captain America,” Mark said with some snark in his voice.   
“Be nice, and be careful,” Captain America said. Mark ran inside and up the stairs. When Mark reached the upper floor, he looked around. He tried to find a sign of where the men would be and what was happening here. Mark walked down the hallway. He found the medical lab in the facility. The hospital was completing research on advanced medical procedures and augmentation. No one was in the lab though. Mark continued his search.   
“Anyone else inside?” Mark asked over the Comlink.   
“On the third floor, but are you finding it odd…” Black Widow began.   
“That no one is in the research facilities? Yeah, it's weird,” Mark finished the sentence for Black Widow.   
“Be careful, This isn't good,” Captain America said. As soon as the message was said, Mark heard a blast as the building shook. Mark looked up and tried to figure out where the blast came from. “No,” Mark said out loud, and he ran for the stairs.   
“Black Widow, Creed are you alright?” Captain America asked.   
“I’m fine, The blast came from higher floors,” Black widow said.   
“The higher floors?” Captain America asked.   
“The hospital wing. The bastards are going after the patients, not the research,” Mark said as he ran up another flight of stairs. Mark opened the door on the ninth floor. Mark froze at the sight of the medical wing. The blast took out all the rooms. The fire roared as Mark looked around at the destruction. It looked like no one survived this blast. Mark slowly walked over to see if there was a chance, he hoped there was a chance. Mark looked through the rooms. He saw only bodies, no movement. Mark walked down to one door and saw a stuffed animal near the door. Mark kneeled down and grabbed the stuffed animal and looked into the room. The remains of a family were in the room. There was a small body in the bed. Mark held the stuffed animal close to him as he stood up, staring into the room. Mark could only imagine how this family felt being in the hospital. The little child recovering from whatever surgery or ailment. All hope, all their lives gone wiped away by a blast. Mark held the stuffed animal tightly as he got lost in his thoughts.   
“This is horrible,” Mark heard as he slowly turned to see Captain America standing there. Captain America walked over to Mark and saw the room. Captain America slowly reached for the stuffed animal and took it from Mark. “It wasn’t your fault,” Captain America said.   
“No, but I can still get revenge for them,” Mark said as he turned and ran to the stairs.   
“You really enjoy bolting on ahead,” Captain America said as he followed Mark.   
“My best plans come together on the fly,” Mark said as he ran. Mark held his hand to his Comlink. “Location fo the other bombs, anyone know?” Mark asked.   
“I see something on the fourteenth floor. Not sure if there’s a bomb there, but I see about five men. That’s your best luck,” Hawkeye said.  
“Got it,” Mark said as he kicked the door down to the fourteenth floor. The men turned, but Mark threw two daggers taking out two men before they could react. Mark saw the armed bomb on the other end of the hall, and he ran forward. Mark formed a sword in his hand, and the men open fired at him. Mark blocked the shots and took cover in an empty hospital room. The men kept Mark bunkered in the room until Mark saw a shield fly by hitting one man and returning back to Captain America. Mark formed two more daggers and jumped from the room throwing the daggers in mid-air hitting the men. Mark hit the floor hard but quickly got up and ran to the bomb. Captain America followed behind him.   
“You know how to disarm it?” Captain America asked. Mark formed a dagger and stabbed it at the bomb pulling the cover off revealing the wiring.   
“So I guess you do,” Captain America said.   
“Nope, I am improvising right now,” Mark said.  
“What?” Captain America shouted. Mark began to work through the wires. “You don’t know what you are doing?”  
“Normally Andrea handles the bombs. Other than that one in the warehouse years ago, its been a long time since I had to defuse bombs. So might be a bit rusty,” Mark said to Captain America.  
“How many years?” Captain America asked raising an eyebrow.  
“Um…about ten years,” Mark said smiling. Captain America grabbed Mark by the arm. “We are getting out of here, Creed.”  
“No, we are not,” Mark said pulling his arm back. “We are going to help the people we can. They got one floor, they are not getting more.”  
“The bomb can go off at any time, I am not losing you here,” Captain America said. Then they turned to see three men run in through the doors pointing guns at them. Captain America stepped forward to block Mark from the shots.   
“I don’t think we have a choice,” Mark said. Mark turned back to the bomb. “Hold them off I got this,” Mark said as he worked on the bomb. Captain America kneeled low to cover Mark more with his shield The men shot their guns at them, and Captain America waited for his moment to strike. The men stopped firing to reload, and Captian America ran forward. He charged at one man slamming him into the wall. Captain America threw his shield at one man and ducked when it ricocheted back hitting the man behind him. Captain America caught his shield and ran back to Mark.   
“Any luck Creed?” Captain America asked. Mark worked his dagger into the circuit and pulled a wire. Slowly the lights faded and powered down.   
“I think so,” Mark said stepping back slowly. Mark felt an arm around him, and he was pulled in close to Captain America. “You are crazy you know that?” Captain America said.   
“I know,” Mark said looking at Captain America. “Sorry. I guess I saw it more worth it to save the people here than my own life.” Mark felt a squeeze from Captain America and a kiss on his forehead.  
“Did you really just kiss me in uniform?” Mark asked smiling.   
Mark saw Captian America turned red as he smiled wide, “I guess I did. I was just really worried I was going to lose you.” Captain America turned Mark around to walk toward the stairs. Mark and Captain America walked to the stairs when they heard a beeping sound. Mark turned slowly to see the bomb lite up again.   
“It can be remotely activated,” Mark said. The lights began to flash red, and Mark saw a bright flash. Captain America jumped in front of Mark and held his shield up to block them from the blast. Mark and Captain America were blasted backward toward the stairs. Mark flew into the railing of the stairs and smashed his head against it. Mark’s mind went black.   
Mark felt the heat around him. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Captain America standing above him shaking him.   
“Thank goodness you’re awake. Can you stand?” Captain America said. Mark slowly lifted his head and touched the back fo his head. Mark felt his hand become wet. When he looked at his hand, Mark saw it was covered in blood. “I don’t think this is good,” Mark said. Captain America slowly helped Mark up from the ground. When Mark stood up, he saw the floor just like the other one. The bomb blasted the rooms and the fire roar throughout. “No,” Mark said stepping forward into the hallway.   
“We tired. We didn’t know it would be remotely detonated,” Captain America said.   
“Captain America, Creed, What’s your status?” Black Widow   
“We’re safe but…” Captain America said as he looked at the hallway. “We failed to stop the bomb. We need to figure out who did this.”  
Mark heard Captain America talking, but it sounded like muffled noise in his head. Mark’s head was still pounding from his injury. Mark walked further into the hallway and looked at the pieces of the bomb. Mark flipped over the metal shards and found a part of a symbol on one piece. Mark held it closer to examine it better. It looked familiar to him. It looked like some type of sea serpent. Mark froze when he realized the symbol.   
“Steve…” Mark said turning to Captain America.   
“Creed, use code names in the field,” Captain America said while turning to Mark. Mark held up the metal piece, and Captain America stared at it. It was the Hydra symbol. Captain America stepped forward and grabbed the piece from Mark.   
“This can’t be, They did this?” Captain America said looking around. Mark watched as Captain America crushed the metal in his hand. Mark saw Captain America’s hand began to bleed as Captain America gripped the metal tightly. “We need to stop them,” Captain America said as he walked back to the stairs. Captain America always got tunnel vision when it came to Hydra. Captain America stopped and turned to Mark. “Come on,” Captain America said. Mark began to walk forward, but then his vision began to blur and go dark as he walked. “Whoa,” Mark felt the world go dark as he fell. The last thing Mark remembered was his name being shouted as he was caught before he fell to the ground.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21  
Tony  
Tony hit the curb as he rounded the corner. Tony and Andrea landed from their vacation only a few hours ago. Tony was told to just get to the hospital as soon as possible, and that is what he was going to do. Andrea’s anxiety was through the roof after she got a call from Natasha about what happened to Mark. Mark has been in the hospital for two days now. Steve was a complete wreck, mainly from the multiple calls from Andrea asking for updates and yelling at him for not protecting Mark. Tony felt bad for Steve, but he knew Andrea was just worried for her best friend and was more upset over the fact she couldn’t be there when Mark got hurt. Tony was trying his best to manage Andrea’s anxiety, but all of his efforts failed. Right now all Tony could do is drive, and drive fast.   
Tony hit another curb as he rounded another corner. “I think I need to slow down,” Tony said.   
Andrea glared at Tony. “Really? Tony Stark said he needs to slow down in a sports car which can easily get over two hundred miles an hour. Did you hit your head as well?”   
“You don’t need to be so harsh,” Tony said as he put more pressure on the gas pedal. Andrea leaned back in her chair as the car went faster.   
“Sorry, I just don’t know what is happening,” Andrea said.   
“You will find out everything when we get there,” Tony said. “We should be there in a few minutes.”  
Tony turned the car, and the wheels slowly lifted off of the ground. Andrea yelped as the wheels hit the ground again. Tony laughed loudly when he heard Andrea. Tony pulled into the hospital and left the car in the ambulance parking lot. Andrea jumped out of the car and ran inside. Tony followed Andrea. Andrea ran up to the receptionist desk.   
“Top secret recovery room! Now!” Andrea shouted. The lady at the desk just blinked at Andrea. “Did you hear me hooker?! Tell me where to go!”   
Tony just shook his head and grabbed Andrea’s arm.   
“What are you doing? We need to know where to go!” Andrea shouted.   
“I know where to go. The people don’t know about the secret room here. Follow me,” Tony said.   
“Oh,” Andrea said. “That would explain why she stared at me like I was a crazy woman.”  
“Well you are a crazy woman right now, but I understand why you were acting that way,” Tony said. “I would do the same if it was you in the hospital.”  
Tony hit the button in the elevator. They entered the elevator, and when the doors closed, the elevator began to go down. Andrea looked around and wondered where they were going.   
“There is an underground hospital wing for the government. S.H.I.E.L.D. uses it all the time. I, myself have been here a few times when Steve wouldn’t let me treat my wounds myself,” Tony explained.   
Andrea slowly turned to look at Tony, “What were you treated here for?”   
Tony thought for a moment, “ Three concussions, five broken ribs, two collapsed lungs, four times for a broken leg, fractured skull I think twice…”  
“Enough,” Andrea cut Tony off and grabbed his arm. “You are not putting yourself in danger like that ever again. And if I ever want to bring you to the hospital, you better agree. If not, I will break a few more bones,” Andrea said squeezing Tony’s arm harder.   
“Ouch,” Tony said as he looked to Andrea. Tony saw worry in Andrea’s eyes when he said all the damage he went through for years. He knew it was not the best idea to tell her now when Mark was in the hospital. “Sorry…” Tony began, “I didn’t mean to worry you more.” Tony pulled Andrea in closer, and she put her head on his chest waiting for the elevator to reach the floor. Andrea didn’t say any other word, but Tony could feel her holding on tight, worried about the news they would hear when they exited the elevator.   
The elevator doors opened, and Andre flew down the hallway. Tony rushed to keep up with Andrea. Tony watched as Andrea looked into each room and continued going down the hall looking for Mark or any of the other Avengers. Andrea paused as she turned the corner. Tony heard Andrea gasp and shout “Steve!” as she ran down the hall. Tony didn’t know if he should be happy they finally found him or if worried Andrea would kill Steve.   
Tony turned the corner and saw Andrea hugging Steve.   
“You idiot. You said you would protect him!” Andrea shouted.   
Steve was quiet for a moment as he tightly held onto Andrea. “I tried. We both got hit by the bomb. Mark was determined to save the people in the building. He wouldn’t leave until he defused the bomb. We didn’t think of it being remotely detonated,” Steve said, and he looked down at Andrea. “I tried my best, but he still got hurt.”  
Tony walked over to Andrea and Steve. “You tired. I know a lot about being stubborn. There wasn’t anything you could have done to stop him. At least you protected him from the blast. Who launched the attack on the medical center?” Tony asked.   
Steve grabbed Andrea by the shoulders and moved her back as Steve looked at Tony. “It was Hydra. Mark found the evidence to prove it. Right before he collapsed.”  
“And what the hell happened to cause him to collapse?” Tony heard from behind him. Tony let out a sigh, he knew that voice and was not ready to be annoyed. Tony looked over his shoulder to see Fury walking down the hall.   
“This is not what we needed today,” Tony said.   
“You already had two weeks in the Philipines, Stark. What else do you and Silvio need?” Fury said as he walked toward the three of them. “Romanova gave me the update on Mark. So what has been going on over the last couple weeks?”   
Tony turned to Steve. “Steve, what does Fury mean?”   
Steve looked down and away from all of them.   
“Steve? Has something been going on over the last couple weeks?” Andrea asked.   
“Mark told me a few days ago,” Steve answered. Andrea stepped forward and punched Steve in the arm. “And you didn’t tell me!?” Andrea shouted.   
Steve rubbed his arm and didn’t answer right away.   
“He told you something was wrong, and you didn’t think to tell Tony or me?” Andrea asked again.   
“He told me right before the mission. He said he was going to be able to manage it. This doesn’t have to do with anything he told me. It is separate,” Steve said, and Tony could see a tear run down Steve’s cheek. Tony put his hand and Andrea’s shoulder to tell her to pull her back her anger. Andrea looked to see how sad Steve actually was over this. She reached out and held his hand when she realized her anger took over. “Sorry,” Andrea said.   
Steve took Andrea’s hand but didn’t say anything. Tony turned to Fury, “So what is going on?” Tony asked.   
“That’s what I am here to figure out,” Fury said. “Someone one get me a damn doctor to explain to me the results of all the testing.”  
“Testing?” Steve asked. “What testing?”   
“Like I said, Romanova said something was happening. I had them put Mark under to run a few scans, but maybe Rogers can fill us in on some things that happened. Right now I would guess a concussion,” Fury said sternly.  
Steve had paused before he took in a big breath. “Mark told me he has been losing his memory. He doesn’t know what is going on. He said he began to lose bits and pieces of time since the wedding. The gaps began to get bigger, and soon he would blank on his whole memory. He forgot me one night completely, and it took Natasha to get him to remember me.”  
Andrea and Tony just stared at Steve after the explanation. A doctor walked out of the examination room. Fury walked over to the doctor while Andrea and Tony still looked stunned.   
“What do you got for us, doc? We already know about the memory loss,” Fury said.   
“How is this even possible?” Tony asked.   
The doctor looked over to Fury for an answer, Tony knew Fury was going to gloat about knowing more than they did.  
“The assassins who broke in months ago stole an Asgardian artifact. Mark brought it to me to keep safe here at S.H.I.E.L.D.”  
“Which you did a great job with that,” Tony said cutting off Fury. Fury glared at Tony with his one eye.   
“The dagger causes memory loss. The inscriptions say it takes the blood of your enemy for it to work. Is there any way someone got Mark’s blood from him?” Fury asked.   
Tony looked to Andrea, who shrugged her shoulders.   
“At the wedding,” Steve began. Tony and Andrea looked back at Steve. “Bucky grabbed Mark’s shirt and tore a piece off. It was where Mark was stabbed. Bucky got his blood.”  
“That would explain the timeline Romanova gave me. And lets us know who is behind it all. Looks like Hydra is making a move against the public and the Avengers,” Fury explained. “What can you tell us, doc?”   
The doctor held up the tests results as he read it to everyone. “We ran multiple scans on Mark’s brain over the last few days. It’s true, his memory is being erased. We noticed decreased neurons in the hippocampus. Slowly the memory links were being disconnected. There is some good news about this concussion. It appears the blow to the head stopped the process. We noticed no deterioration over the last day. There is a significant loss, though.”  
“How significant?” Tony asked.   
The doctor looked at the scan. “I am afraid to say he won’t remember anyone. He doesn’t even have memories connected to his own identity.”  
Tony felt Steve push forward, “Wait, he won't know any of us. He won’t know himself? Can we help him?” Steve asked.   
“We can, but the process is…experimental,” The doctor said.   
“What does that mean?” Andrea said to Tony.   
Tony turned to look at Andrea. “It means it could kill him.”  
“What?” Andrea said looking at Fury. Tony noticed Steve clench his fist after hearing this information.   
“What are we looking at for the procedure?” Tony asked.   
“It's an eighteen-hour procedure. There is one condition though that would be difficult for the patient,” The doctor explained.   
“What other great news can you give us?” Andrea said crossing her arms.   
“Mark needs to be awake through the procedure. It's an extremely painful surgery. It would be rewiring his brain after all,” Fury explained.   
Tony felt the weight of the idea hit him. He could not form words. Steve was frozen as well.   
“No!” Andrea shouted. “We are not putting him through it for you poke around in his brain.”  
“And how else would you restore his memory, Silvio?” Fury shouted.   
Andrea did not have a response. She turned to Tony, who could only shrug his shoulders. Tony and Andrea never thought of working on something like this. Right now this was the only option available.   
The lights flashed above the room. “Code Blue, Code Blue,” the speaker system said.   
“That’s Mark’s room,” Steve said pushing through and running toward the room. Andrea followed, and Tony ran behind Andrea. Tony and Andrea ran into Steve as he stopped in the room. Tony went to the side to see what was happening, but he saw nothing. Literally nothing, Mark was not in his bed.   
“I thought he was in a chemically induced coma?” Tony asked.   
Andrea stepped forward and searched the bed. She pulled out the IV and the medicine being stored in the bed. “He must have woken up and hidden the injections as soon as it was put in him. He could have been awake since he got here.”  
“He’s gone,” Steve looked around the room then toward the open air duct. “What do we do?”   
“Find him!” Fury shouted. “And bring him back.” Fury left the room after giving his orders.   
“He grabbed his suit. He is out there as Creed right now. But he doesn’t know he is Creed,” Andrea said.   
Tony walked over to Steve and put his hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Come on, Steve. We need to go find him.” Steve nodded, and Tony led Steve out of the room. Andrea followed, and Tony saw Steve’s jacket on the chair outside the room.   
“Andrea can you grab that for Steve,” Tony asked. Andrea looked over at the chair and nodded. She picked up the jacket, and a small black box fell out. Tony and Steve stopped when the box fell. Andrea froze as she looked at the box. Tony watched as Steve slowly walked over to the box and reached down to pick it up. Steve took his jacket from Andrea and put it on.   
“You didn’t ask him yet?” Andrea asked.   
“No,” Steve said as he played with the box in his hand. “And right now he won’t even remember me. I know you won’t support the surgery.”   
Andrea put her hands on Steve’s shoulders. “I’m sorry, Steve… I didn’t mean anything by it. I just don’t know what the surgery could do to him.”  
“I know,” Steve said as he turned and walked passed Tony. “It just means I could lose him, and he won’t even remember my name.”


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22  
Andrea  
Andrea spent the next few days locked in the lab looking for Mark. The only times she came out of the lab was to eat or to refill the fridge in the lab with cola. Andrea wasn’t the only one losing sleep over the search. Steve didn’t sleep for days at a time. Andrea would at least work until she was exhausted and fell asleep at the computer, which Tony would always carry her up to their room so she could sleep in their bed. She appreciated Tony doing this for her, but poor Steve had no one. Andrea began to see it wear on Steve like it did before when Mark was gone, only, this time, Mark was missing and didn’t know who he was. Andrea hoped Mark didn’t hold his skills as an assassin, but who knows if those memories were rooted too deep for the Asgardian artifact to damage before the concussion stopped the progress.   
She searched multiple security databases a day. Searching some again a few days later seeing if they picked up anything which could possibly be linked to Mark. Andrea couldn’t find anything. She wondered what would Mark do in this situation. He was confused, had no memory of anything of his life. She figured he would hunt for information, but none of the databases were broken into, or at least not reported to be broken into by any security network.   
It was about two weeks later that Andrea finally picked something up late at night on the security network of S.H.I.E.L.D. It was a minor breach, and the only place was broken into was the information center, which held the electronic information on all agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. No weapons breach, no bioweapons stole, just information. She knew this was Mark, and somewhere he slipped up.   
Andrea searched on the network to gather more information. “Jarvis let everyone in the building know I got a hit on Mark,” Andrea shouted.   
“I will Miss Andrea,” Jarvis said.   
“Its Mrs. Andrea, Jarvis,” Andrea corrected.   
“My apologies. I will let everyone know,” Jarvis said.   
In less than a minute, Steve showed up next to Andrea.   
“What did you find?” Steve said frantically. Andrea looked over at Steve, who looked exhausted and began to not shave again or keep his hair managed. Luckily she knew Mark liked the rugged, messy look on Steve.   
“It’s a small breach at S.H.I.E.L.D. It is only information hunting it seems, but that is what Mark would do. He doesn’t have any memory, so I figured he would be looking for any and all information he could on his life. We need to head out now. I don’t know how long he will be there.”  
“I will let Tony, Natasha, and Clint knows. Get the Quin Jet ready,” Steve said as he ran out of the lab. Andrea got up and ran to suit up in her outfit. She grabbed her batons and paused for a moment and looked at them. “We will get your memory back,” She said as she attached them to her belt. She ran to the hanger, hitting a button on the wall to open the hatch to the Quin Jet.   
Andrea prepped the jet for take off. Slowly everyone entered the jet, the first one being Captain America. Black Widow and Hawkeye entered next.   
“Take off now, I will catch up,” Tony said.   
“You sure?” Andrea asked over the Comlink.   
“He said he will catch up. Prepare for taking off,” Captain America commanded.   
“Okay,” Andrea said as she opened the hanger and piloted the jet out of the hanger. Andrea piloted the Quin Jet straight for S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.   
“Are we sure it is Mark? I mean it could be just a bug in the system,” Hawkeye asked.   
“Even if it is a chance, we need to take it!” Captain America shouted at Hawkeye.   
“Okay,” Hawkeye said foldings arms and looking away. “Sheesh.”   
Black Widow shrugged her shoulders when Hawkeye looked over to her.   
“Captain, I think you need to calm down,” Andrea said.   
“What makes you think I am not calm, Lucinda?” Captain America asked in a stern voice.   
“Cause you are breaking the chair with how hard you are clenching it with your hand,” Andrea pointed out. Captain America looked over to the chair and lifted his hand off of it. Everyone saw the dent Captian America left on the chair.   
Andrea slowly turned her attention to the flight pattern. Andrea hit the radio switch as they approached S.H.I.E.L.D. “Anyone read me? Avengers approaching S.H.I.E.L.D. to investigate a breach in security. Anyone there?” Andrea said.   
“I read you, and we do have an intruder. We are working on tracking him down. He is escaping to the roof now,” The S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent said.   
“Maria?” Captain America asked.   
“Steve? Is that you?” Maria replied.   
“Okay, I am cutting in,” Andrea said. “We are getting to the roof. We will cut the intruder off. We think it’s Mark.”  
“Well, we are in pursuit now. If we apprehend him we will let you know,” Maria said.   
“Apprehend him? You are trying to arrest him?” Captain America shouted.   
“Steve, he broke into S.H.I.E.L.D. and stole some information from our database. We need to bring him in,” Maria said. Before Captain America could reply, Andrea switched off the radio.   
“They are going to arrest him?” Captain America repeated.   
“Not before we get to him,” Hawkeye said. Andrea flew over the roof of S.H.I.E.L.D. and set the autopilot on and opened the hatch. Hawkeye and Black Widow jumped onto the roof first. Captain America stood there for a moment staring at the roof.   
“They won’t be able to catch him. You know that,” Andrea said.   
“Yeah, but will we be able to?” Captain America asked.   
“Of course, we will,” Andrea said with a smile as she jumped down. Captain America followed.   
Andrea blinked her contacts on and began to hack the security feed.   
“He is two floors from the roof, expect him here in twenty seconds,” Andrea said to everyone.   
Andrea turned as she heard an explosion. The roof door flew open and blasted past her. Andrea saw a cloud of smoke and a man running past her flipping over her. “He is here,” Andrea shouted.   
Mark ran to the other side of the building; Black Widow cut him off. Hawkeye flanked Mark’s right side arming his bow. Andrea readied her batons as Mark turned back to see her there. Captain America took Mark’s left flank ready to strike. Andrea looked up to see Iron Man flying overhead.   
“I made it in time it seems,” Iron Man said. Iron Man readied his repulsor beams. Mark looked up at Iron Man and then turned to Captain America.   
“And who the hell are you?” Mark asked.   
“Your friends. We’re here to bring you back with us,” Steve said. Mark raised an eyebrow and looked at everyone again. “My friends arm their weapons against me?”   
“He does raise a good point,” Hawkeye said.   
Everyone stood their ground ready, they didn’t know what to expect from Mark. Slowly, Captain America lowered his guard. “Sorry. We didn’t know how you would react. We just… I just want you to come back with us.”  
Mark looked at Steve and then shifted his eyes to Black Widow. Everyone seemed on edge waiting to for Mark to react. “I find this all hard to believe,” Mark said. Mark ducked and threw a dagger at Black Widow. Hawkeye fired an arrow, Mark jumped and caught it in his hand and threw it back at him. It was a stun arrow which hit Hawkeye in the leg.   
“Friends indeed,” Mark said. Andrea charged forward, and Mark blocked her hits from her baton. Andrea turned the stunner on and continued her assault. Iron Man flew in and fired a repulse beam. Mark jumped back dodging the beam and lunged forward in an attack. Andrea blocked his attack, and she noticed Mark studying her attacks and weapons. Andrea jumped and attacked downward trying to hit Mark. Mark stepped back, and Andrea hit the floor with her batons. Mark kicked up her batons in a split second after she hit the floor.   
“Slight pause in power when you strike a solid object,” Mark said as she looked at her batons flying in the air. Andrea felt a strong kick in her stomach as she flew backward. She rolled to the ground and held her stomach. Andrea looked up to see Iron Man flying in and firing his repulse beams. Mark jumped to the side to dodge the blasts and ran to jump on Iron Man’s back.   
“You better hold on,” Iron Man said as he flew off. Mark formed a dagger and dug it into the armor to hold on.   
“So flying to throw me off and fall to my death. I see why we are friends,” Mark said. Mark formed another dagger and dug it into the back of the armor. Tony regretted making those cuffs for Mark. Mark broke off a piece and pulled out the wires. One of the Iron Man boots began to malfunction and caused Iron Man to lose altitude. Iron Man circled back around to fly back to the roof. Iron Man came in fast, and crash landed as Mark jumped off and rolled on the rooftop. Black Widow didn’t miss a beat. She came in and attacked Mark. Mark fought back in hand-to-hand combat against Black Widow. She kicked at Mark, and Mark caught the kick and punched Black Widow in the chest. Black Widow staggered back and came in again. Mark grabbed her arm and spun her around, turning in the opposite direction to roundhouse kicked her knocking her down.   
Mark began to run to the edge of the roof. Captain America ran forward and cut him off.   
“You’re going to try and stop me too?” Mark asked.   
“If I have to, I will. I would rather you come with us willingly,” Captain America said. Mark readied himself, and so did Captain America, but neither made a move. Captain America looked at Mark, and Andrea wondered why Mark wasn’t attacking. It was strange to see Mark hesitate after taking down the other Avengers. Suddenly, Mark threw a dagger at Captian America’s shield, but did not aim anywhere other than the center of the shield and ran to the side. Captain America ran after him after blocking the dagger.   
“Cap, throw your shield,” Tony shouted from the side. Mark stopped and turned ready for an attack. Captain America just stood there, waiting. Andrea then realized what was going on.   
“He can’t bring himself to fight him,” Andrea said to herself.   
“Not going to attack?” Mark asked Captain America.   
“I could ask you the same question,” Captain America replied.   
“I threw a dagger at you if you recall,” Mark bantered.   
“Yeah, right in the center of my shield. I don’t think it even counts,” Captain America said challenging Mark. Mark stood there and glared at Captain America and then ran forward. Andrea watched as Mark attacked Steve, and could not help but feel weird about the fight she saw. She then realized why she felt strange about the fight. Both exchanged hits that they knew the other could dodge or block. It was a pointless fight for show, nothing else.   
Mark began to increase the speed of his attacks and got Captain America to trip up on his feet to fall down. Captain America fell backward, and Mark came in for a direct punch to the chest but stopped himself just centimeters of hitting Captain America.   
Captain America looked up at Mark, “You can’t bring yourself to hit me.”   
“Shut it,” Mark said as he pulled a smoke grenade out and set it off. Captain America was lost in the smoke along with Mark. Andrea looked around and saw Mark running to the ledge ready to jump.   
“Freeze!” Andrea heard, and she looked over to see Maria Hill and two other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents holding guns aimed at Mark.   
“No,” Andrea said to herself.   
“We are taking you in. Give up, or we will shot,” Maria said.  
Mark turned slowly and looked at the three agents.   
“We know you have many tricks up your sleeve,” Maria said. Mark stood still looking at the three of them. Andrea knew Mark wasn’t going to give up. He had a look he always makes when he was forming a plan. She just never saw him take so long to think of a plan.   
“Maria you can’t,” Andrea heard as she saw Captain America run over to Maria.   
Maria looked at Captain America but did not turn her aim away from Mark. “I have to Steve, he stole information from S.H.I.E.L.D. We are taking him in.”  
Mark looked over to Captain America, “Steve?” Mark said confused.   
Captain America slowly turned to Mark and stepped forward. “Yes, it’s me, Steve,” Captain America said taking off his cowl to show Mark his face. Mark stared a while at Steve. Andrea turned her attention to the guns ready to fire at Mark. She had no way to stop them.   
Mark took the distraction as the opportunity to throw another smoke grenade attached to a dagger. It landed right at the feet of the agents. Mark ran to the ledge, Maria stepped from the smoke and took aim at Mark.   
“No,” Steve said and pulled the gun down when it fired causing Maria to miss her shot. Mark looked at Steve. Mark paused, and Andrea saw Mark lock eyes with Steve. Mark then threw a hook to the side with a wire attached to his belt and then jumped from the ledge.   
“Why did you do that, Steve? We need to bring him in,” Maria asked.   
“Because it is Mark. Fury didn’t put an order out to avoid directly hurting Mark?” Steve shouted at Maria.   
“Fury got word from higher-ups. They are overruling Fury’s orders. We bring in criminals. And sorry to say, Mark is a criminal. We don’t know who is controlling him, and we know Hydra is out there. I thought you would understand that,” Maria said. Andrea gathered all her strength and stood up. She walked over to Maria and punched her in the face. “Take another shot at him and see what else happens!” Andrea shouted. Steve put his hand on Andrea’s shoulder. “It’s okay,” Steve said.   
Maria wiped the blood from her mouth. “Sorry to tell you Steve, but we have orders from powerful leaders. Hydra being back has them worried. Last time they almost started a war with the help of Mark’s powers. They are worried what will happen this time. We will bring him in,” Maria said glaring at Andrea as she walked away.   
Andrea almost attacked again, but Steve held her back. Andrea turned to Steve, who looked to be smiling.   
“What has you so happy?” Andrea asked.   
“I…I think he remembered me,” Steve said not making any effort to hide his smile.   
“Yeah, I did notice the fight between you two. He didn’t make any attacks you couldn't block, and he stopped his one hit which would have hurt you,” Andrea said holding her stomach. “I wish he remembered me, though.”   
“He will,” Steve said turning to the others seeing them in pain as well. “But who knew he could bring us all down without his powers.”   
“We all did, well maybe you didn’t. Mark is a far more powerful human than you realize, Steve,” Andrea said.   
Steve stood there looking at everyone. Mark was able to show reflexes faster than Hawkeye, outmaneuver Tony and Andre’s technology and fighting style, take out Natasha in hand-to-hand combat, and he would have taken Steve out no problem as well. Andrea shuddered to think what would have happened if Mark didn’t have some sort of memory of Steve.   
“Come on,” Andrea said walking over to the others. “Let’s get our sad team back up. We know he isn’t far. We will find him again soon.”  
“I hope so,” Steve said walking with Andrea.   
“You might be our best bet in bringing him back to us,” Andrea said. Steve smiled at her words. Andrea hugged Steve as they walked. “You will get him back. You promised we would.”


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23  
Mark  
Mark ran down the alley and took some cover. He leaned against the wall to catch his breath. Mark sat down and reached into his pocket for the USB drive which held his prize.   
“Hopefully, this will tell me something,” Mark said to himself. Mark held the precious item tightly and put it back in its safe hiding place. Mark looked back to the S.H.I.E.L.D. building wondering what happened at the end. He broke into many places over the last few weeks and never ran into those people before. What called them there this time. Mark thought of the possibility of him slipping up during the break-in, but then quickly discarded the notion as impossible. He thought of the group. They said they were his friends. Yet they attacked him. Mark did pull his weapon out as well. He didn’t remember any of them. He had no clue if they spoke the truth or not, right now it was best not to trust anyone, especially someone who attacked him. But then there was that one who lowered his guard. The only one Mark couldn’t bring himself to hit.   
“Steve,” Mark said to himself. The man dressed like the poster child for the American army. Mark couldn’t really understand what he was feeling toward that one in particular. He wanted to attack, but his body held back. He couldn’t bring himself to hurt that man. Mark didn’t know why. And then Steve showed his face to him. Mark would admit he was handsome, although he didn’t go for blondes. The rugged look did look good on Steve, and something was in his eyes. Steve looked like he felt pain that Mark didn’t remember him. Mark saw it, he couldn’t deny that. But he was not taking a chance on it right now. He got information, and he needed to figure out if S.H.I.E.L.D. had anything on him. Mark stood up and began to walk down the alley.   
Mark walked through the alley to avoid being seen. A team of specialized agents were after him as well as this group of superheroes, he needed to stay safe. It took longer than planned, but Mark made it to his safe house, which was a small covering on an abandoned building. Mark climbed the fire escape to the roof. He walked over to the covered area and lifted up boards to reveal a hidden bag. Mark grabbed the bag and opened it taking out a laptop. Mark stole it from one of his many break-ins, he needed a way to read the information away from the source. He wanted to only be in long enough to obtain the information, not comb through it there. Mark opened the laptop and was happy to see it had half a battery of power left. He didn’t need to wait till morning to charge it at a coffee shop. Mark plugged in the USB drive and opened the file. Mark got all the files on every person in S.H.I.E.L.D. Based on what he figured about himself, he would be a higher ranked person in the organization. Mark ignored the lower ranks and started from the top. He found little information on Fury, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and even saw some files on the people he ran into tonight.   
“The Avengers Initiative,” Mark read as he opened the file. The file contained some of the people he ran into and some he didn’t. Mark decided to save the files, he might need to read up on the people he didn’t run into, so he knows what to expect. Mark went through each file and found the star spangled banner guy. “Steven Grant Rogers,” Mark read. Mark began to read more on his file. “A Brooklyn guy, explains the muscles and high probability of him being dumb,” Mark said to himself. Mark continued reading and found some information he did not expect.   
“Long history of health issues…” Mark said as he read Steve’s medical history before the super soldier serum.   
“Liberal Arts drop out,” Mark laughed to himself. A drop out of course but then realized it was from joining the army and Steve was going to school to be an artist. “Huh…” Mark felt weird. He was interested in knowing the history of Steve more than finding the information he was seeking. Mark stopped reading and closed the file. He found no information in the Avengers initiative. Mark looked in other sections containing higher ranks offers and found one of the people he ran into tonight. “Lucinda the Technology night, AKA Andrea Silvio. If she is in here outside of the Avenger Initiative there might be others,” Mark said to himself. Mark found a strange section for powerful individuals. It looked to be separate from the S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives. Mark clicked on the file and found people with extraordinary abilities, none of which he ran into tonight. One file only had one name on it. He clicked on it.   
Instantly Mark saw a picture of himself, with different hair but it was him. No information on him, though. Past was unknown, birthplace unknown, even knowing if he was part of S.H.I.E.L.D. was not listed. But S.H.I.E.L.D. gave him something, his name.   
“So my name is Mark. That’s a start,” Mark said to himself.   
“And your code name is Creed,” Mark heard from behind him.   
“You know, I wondered when you were going to say something. You have been standing there for about ten minutes. Were you waiting for me to come across something in these files?” Mark said.   
“Well, I was curious as to what you would find. It’s true, your name is Mark. Your code name is Creed,” The man said.   
“I need a code name?” Mark asked.   
“When you are out on missions. It was your idea to have that name, you felt proud to come up with it on your own. Question for you, though, why didn’t you attack me since you knew I was here for a while?” The man asked.   
“You don’t have any weapons on you. You aren’t wearing body armor. And you don’t have an offensive stand ready for attack. Besides, if you did, I have my dagger ready here in this wrist thing,” Mark said holding it up.   
“Not going to form a sword?” The man asked.   
Mark’s interest was piqued by the question. “Form a sword? How would I do that? My powers aren’t working right now, so there is no way.”  
The man walked over a few steps. “Put your hand out like you would when you form a sword,” The man said. Mark couldn’t see the man, but he decided to give it a shot. Mark stood up and held out his hand like he did when he made his sword, and slowly a sword folded out form the cuffs and formed in his hand. “Whoa,” Mark said.   
“See, I told you,” The man said.   
Mark swung the sword a few times. It felt different than the one he usually made, but he could get used to it. Mark put his hand on the side like he would when his sword would disappear, and the sword folded back into his cuffs. “Pretty damn cool. So you knew about that, how?” Mark asked.  
“Those cuffs were made for you after you lost your powers,” The man said.   
“What do you mean lost? I can see me healing someone, but my powers do not go away forever,” Mark said.   
“No, I am afraid they are gone. Taken from you by an amulet. The amulet was used to save one of the Avengers. The Avengers were the ones who took your powers away,” The man said.   
“What?” Mark said loudly. He couldn’t process the information. Mark stood there for a while in silence then the man spoke. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but it’s true.”  
“Why are you telling me this?” Mark asked.   
“Because we have been trying to get you back, and I didn’t know how else to earn your trust,” the man said. “I came here with no weapons, no protective gear, and the truth. We have been trying to break you out of the hospital for a while, but S.H.I.E.L.D. had it heavily guarded. We also didn’t know how bad the memory loss would be.”  
Mark took in the man’s words but then smiled. “I think saying unarmed is not accurate. You do have a metal arm after all,” Mark said.   
The man came into view. “So your skills are so good you can tell even that. I never knew how strong they were until you used them against me.”  
“So the first time I am using my skills against you?” Mark asked. “And who are you?”  
“James Barnes, well you call me Bucky. My code name is Winter Soldier,” Bucky answered.   
“Bucky?” Mark asked to himself.   
“No memory of me?” Bucky asked.   
Mark shook his head. “I was afraid it was this bad,” Bucky said.   
“So why did you come here? Another person claiming to be a friend and ready to attack me?” Mark asked ready to form a sword.   
“No, just here to give you information and to let you know you are welcome to come home,” Bucky said.   
“Home?” Mark asked.   
“Yeah, it's not the best headquarters since we needed to relocate, but it works. I just wanted to tell you that you are free to come back when you are ready. I would have found you sooner and told you, but you are a tough man to track down. Again, not used to your skills being used against me,” Bucky explained.   
“So I have a home?” Mark asked as he slowly took in this information.   
“You do, and you have a team. We aren’t a big team, but we are together, sort of. It’s been a rough time fighting the Avengers especially losing you. Some of the team got locked up by them. So we are small right now,” Bucky said.   
Mark processed this information. There didn’t seem to be a gap in the story, but he wasn’t sure. He had nothing to reference this story. A few things were true: his powers were gone, Bucky knew how his cuffs worked, and Bucky was not attacking him and still had his guard down. But one thing still confused Mark.   
“Why are you being so friendly to me and sound so excited to have found me?” Mark asked.   
Bucky smiled, “Well you are a team member but also…” Bucky trailed off. Bucky took a step forward to judge how Mark would react. Mark didn’t move.   
“You are someone who was close to me,” Bucky said. Mark slowly lowered his arms to his side. “Someone close?” Mark asked. Bucky stepped forward closer to Mark, standing only a few inches away.   
“Yeah, someone important too,” Bucky said.   
Mark looked at Bucky unclear about this situation. “I feel like I should know what you mean by all this, but I don’t.”   
Bucky leaned in and hugged Mark. Mark didn’t know how to take this. He just found out his name minutes ago, now someone claiming Mark had a home and knew him was hugging him.   
“I feel bad not knowing what this means,” Mark said.   
Bucky leaned back and let go of Mark. “Sorry, it’s just good to finally talk to you again. I know this is a lot. I just needed to hug you one more time,” Bucky said.   
“One more time? How touchy feely is our little group?” Mark asked.   
Bucky didn’t smile. Mark found this very weird. The inflection was in his voice, but Bucky kept his face very stoic. Mark didn’t know how to gauge him.   
“Yes, one more time. Listen, here is where home is,” Bucky said handing Mark a note. Mark paused for a moment and took the note in his hand.   
“I won’t force you. Come when you are ready. But I will be ready when you decide to come home,” Bucky said. Then he turned and began to walk away. Mark looked down at the note in his hand. He didn’t know what to do. He looked back up, and Bucky began to climb down the fire escape. Mark thought it was best to let him go. Mark went back to the computer, still battery left on it. Mark typed in James Barnes and found a file. It was under the same section where he found his name. “Winter Soldier,” Mark found him. It was odd Bucky was under the same section as him. Mark read on Bucky. It explained a long history Bucky had as a spy for another organization. Bucky later joined S.H.I.E.L.D. but over the last two years left. Bucky also knew Steve Rogers in the past. Both were from the same time. Mark was shocked to read they were best friends. Mark paused on this part. “Best friends, but fight against each other? He needs to answer a few things.” Mark continued reading and only had more questions. He looked at the note Bucky left for him. It only listed an address. Mark packed up his laptop and grabbed a second bag full of clothes. He might as well take Bucky up on his offer and get answers from him as well. Mark climbed down the fire escape and headed toward the address.  
Mark walked all night. He found the building, and he saw the sun begin to rise. He stood outside the building for a long while unsure if he should enter or not. The building wasn’t big, it looked to be a warehouse converted into something else. Mark felt uneasy looking at it. Soon the side door opened, and Bucky walked out.   
“Are you going to wait until tomorrow night to come in? You look exhausted,” Bucky said.   
“Not sure, I still have some unanswered questions,” Mark said to Bucky.   
“I will be happy to answer them, but you should get some rest first. Come on,” Bucky said gesturing to the door.   
Mark thought for a moment and then took a step away from the building. “I should get rest but not here. I still don’t know who to trust yet.”  
“Fine, I can’t force you. Come back when you are ready,” Bucky said. Mark walked away. Once Mark was out of view a woman came out of the doorway and stood next to Bucky.   
“So failed in getting him to join us?” The woman said.   
“No, he will join. He just is more cautious than I realized. As long as we keep him away from Captain America, he will join,” Bucky answered.   
“Good. Once he joins us we can take down Captain America and the Avengers,” the woman said.   
Both Bucky and the woman went inside.   
Mark walked for an hour and found an apartment building. It looked to have a few rooms empty. He climbed the fire escape and looked in the windows to see if any apartment was empty. He found one with no furniture in it. He broke through the window and climbed inside. It looked like no one lived in this apartment. He figured it would be good to rest here for the time being. He set his bags down so his clothing bag could be used as a pillow. He checked his laptop, but the battery finally died. He needed to take it somewhere to charge. He was hoping to read up on some of the people he saw the other night. Mainly he wanted to read up on Steve and Bucky. He needed to know more information about Bucky. He approached him and offered something Mark didn’t know he had, a home. Mark wasn’t sure why he kept wondering about Steve. But his laptop was out of battery so his curiosity would only grow. Mark found the dark part of the apartment and rested there. He wanted to find out more information around this as soon as he could.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24  
Steve  
Steve emerged from his room rubbing his eyes. He tried to take a nap in the middle of the day, not realizing it made him even more tired. Steve had not been sleeping much over the last few weeks. He could always survive on a few hours of sleep, but the past few days, he couldn’t even get that much. Steve felt horrible about what happened when they finally found Mark. He kept replaying in his head what he could have done differently to get Mark to stay and listen. Every time Steve closed his eyes, he kept remembering the night on the roof and what they all could have done differently. Everyone felt the same way, but Steve took it harder than the others. Everyone realized the plan should have gone differently, but Steve led the team. He should have known how Mark would react, he should have planned to go in without weapons, he should have known better. But Steve went in like he always does, armed with his shield hoping everything would work out, hoping Mark remembered him, but Mark lost his memories. Mark forget them all…Mark forgot Steve. At least most of Steve, deep down Steve knew Mark remembered something of him. They exchanged a long look at the end of everything, and Steve could see something in Mark’s eyes. Something still drew Mark to Steve, at least Steve hoped this was the case. Steve couldn’t shake the thought from his head, and this thought kept him awake for three days straight.   
Steve walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. Steve grabbed a cup and put the kettle on the stove to make some tea. He couldn’t drink coffee like Tony or soda like Mark or Andrea, but Steve loved his tea. Steve went to the cabinet and grabbed a tea bag and paused for a moment looking into the cabinet. Steve missed how Mark would always make tea for him. Mark always knew the right way to make it for Steve. No matter what type of tea Steve wanted that day, Mark knew how to prepare it. Steve missed these small things when Mark wasn’t around. Steve didn’t mind making his own tea, but it was the fact Mark knew him well enough to know what he liked. Steve sighed as he grabbed the honey and he heard the kettle whistling. Steve put the tea bag in the mug and poured the hot water into it. Steve put honey in his tea and stirred it to let the honey mix in while it steeped. Steve put the spoon in the sink and took a sip of his tea. Steve noticed not even he could get his tea perfect like Mark could. Maybe Mark knew Steve better than Steve knew himself.   
Steve walked to the table and sat there for a while just sipping his tea and thinking about what it would mean if Mark did know him better than he knew himself. Is it possible? If this were possible, Mark would be the one to break all realm of possibility. Steve rested his head on the table after taking another sip of his tea. He did not know how he was going to save Mark from this one. Steve needed to get Mark to talk to him, but everyone knew they needed to wait until Mark showed himself again. S.H.I.E.L.D. now labeled Mark as a criminal and was hunting him down. The team here worked hard to stay one step ahead of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents when it came to finding Mark. The good news was S.H.I.E.L.D. was just as lost as they were. Steve couldn’t understand why S.H.I.E.L.D. was hell-bent on finding Mark. Fury had no control over this, it seemed the United Nations wanted Mark found, and Maria Hill headed the operation. Steve couldn’t bring himself to even look at Maria anymore.   
Steve felt the cool surface fo the table against his face. He found it relaxing, especially since he couldn’t sleep. Steve heard someone walking in and lifted his head.   
“Sorry, I figured this was the only time you got some sleep,” Tony said as he walked over to get more coffee for himself.   
“I wish, it was relaxing, but I doubt I could sleep,” Steve said.   
“You should really try and get some rest, you look awful,” Steve heard from behind him. Natasha walked in with Andrea following her.   
“I try, and I can’t,” Steve replied. Natasha went to get water for herself and soda for Andrea. Andrea sat down next to Steve.   
“Any news?” Steve asked.   
“None,” Andrea answered. “He is still an assassin remember. He knows how to avoid the grid when he wants to. I think we got lucky the other night.”  
“How long until we get lucky again?” Steve asked.   
“Well, Andrea and I got lucky last night. I guess Natasha and Clint did as well, you are the only one not getting lucky at night my friend,” Tony answered.   
“Crude joke,” Natasha said as Steve looked up confused.   
Andrea laughed, “More like Steve didn’t get the sex joke,” Andrea said. Steve didn’t even have it in him to blush. He just leaned back in his chair and sighed.   
“No change in color after I made a sex joke. This is not good for Steve,” Tony said.   
“I agree,” Andrea said as she held her hand to Steve’s forehead. “You look sick without sleep. Are you sure you are alright?”   
“Fine,” Steve answered. “I will be better once we get some news.”  
“Well you will be in luck, I have some,” Clint said running into the kitchen.   
“About Mark?” Natasha asked.   
“No, but we do have some trouble. We found some Hydra Agents set up near a hospital. Looks like they plan another attack. I will wait for you guys in the Quin Jet,” Clint said as grabbed Natasha’s water and left the kitchen.   
“That man can be an asshole sometimes,” Natasha said.   
“But he is your asshole,” Tony said smiling to Natasha.   
“Much like how you are Andrea’s,” Natasha said with a smile.   
“This is true,” Tony said chugging down the rest of his coffee. “Get me the coordinates, I will meet you there,” Tony said as he ran to the lab.   
“Those two are unbelievable. I will meet you guys in the jet,” Natasha said as she left the kitchen.   
Steve didn’t move, and he knew Andrea waited for him so they both could leave to get ready for the mission.   
“We might find something on Mark there. If there is trouble, he will show up. He might be an assassin, but he never strayed away from helping innocent bystanders,” Andrea said.   
Steve sat up and turned to look at Andrea, “You think so?” Steve asked.   
Andrea smiled, “I think we will. I think he will be there. Try and see if you can get him to talk to you then. You are our best hope right now to get him back.”  
Steve thought for a moment of Andrea’s words and stood up slowly, Andrea followed.   
“I will see you in the jet,” Andrea said.   
Steve ran up to suit up. He dawned his Captain America suit and grabbed his shield. Steve quickly ran to the hanger and entered the jet. Steve was surprised to see he was not the last one on the jet. Andrea came in last following him.   
“Sorry, a woman takes longer to get ready,” Andrea said as she went to pilot the jet.   
Andrea prepared the jet for takeoff and opened the hanger. The Quin Jet lifted off the ground and left the Mansion. Steve could see Tony following them in his Iron Man suit.   
“So what are we looking at here?” Steve asked Clint.   
“About a dozen Hydra agents targeting a hospital in the city. It’s a smaller hospital than last time, but still something we need to take seriously. There were reports of Winter Soldier being there along with some woman. No clear identification on her, but Intel said that she works for Hydra and is a tall, brunet woman. She seems to be leading the attack,” Clint answered.   
“Any sighting of Mark?” Steve asked anxiously.   
Clint just shook his head. Steve knew Clint wouldn’t have anything on Mark in his report, but he still hoped to hear something. Steve looked forward as Andrea neared the hospital.   
“The plan is simple, stay close and figure out why they are here. Stake them out and radio in when either Bucky or this woman are seen. We don’t want to take either of them on our own. And if you see Mark, give me his location on the Comlink. Got it?” Steve said.   
“No problemo Cap,” Clint answered. Natasha slapped Clint for acting so casually. “We will let you know if we see anything. Clint and I will take the south side of the hospital,” Natasha said.   
“Andrea and I will take the north. Tony, we need you to watch the roof and provide cover from above,” Steve said on the Comlink.   
“No problem, Cap,” Tony answered.   
“I’m bringing us in, everyone ready?” Andrea said.   
“Let’s go,” Steve said answering for the team. The Quin Jet opened, and everyone jumped out. Andrea was the last to land. Hawkeye and Black Widow ran to the south side of the building while Captain America and Lucinda took the north side. Captain America could see Hydra agents ahead of them, and they prepared to fire at Lucinda and him. Captain America threw his shield hitting one agent and ricocheted into another before returning to Captain America. Andrea punched one soldier then jumped on another wrapping her legs around his neck to bring him down. Once on the ground, she kicked upward to knock out the first soldier she punched. Captian America ran forward and saw Bucky standing there with the unknown woman. It looked like Lucinda and Captian America had the bad luck of running into both of them. The woman looked at Captain America and pulled out a whip from her side.   
“Well look who finally showed up. Glad you could join the party,” The woman said. The woman was dress in all green and looked ready to attack. Captain America saw Bucky get ready to attack as well.   
“Who are you?” Captain America asked.   
The woman stepped forward and cracked her whip at Captain America. Captain America dodged the attack, and she answered. “My name is Viper, but you can call me Madame Hydra. You took down our leader Red Skull, I am here to finish what he started,” Madam Hydra replied.   
“Cap, look down at the floor,” Lucinda said. Captain America looked to where Madam Hydra hit her whip. The concrete turned green where she struck. The whip had some sort of liquid on it.  
“Poison,” Captain America said.   
“That’s why they call me Viper,” The woman said as she struck again. Captain America blocked the whip with his shield. Captain America saw Bucky coming in from his right, but Lucinda jumped in and knocked Bucky back with one of her batons.   
“You take the crazy snake lady, I can manage Bucky,” Lucinda said as she struck two more times with her baton. Bucky blocked the first hit, but Lucinda shocked him with the second knocking Bucky back.   
“Don’t hurt him,” Captain America said. “You know he is being controlled.”  
“I will just stun him so we can bring him in,” Lucinda said. “Don’t worry.”   
Captain America smiled as he turned to Madam Hydra. She struck her whip again, and Captain America needed to take the defense and blocked with his shield. Captain America tried to get in close, but Madam Hydra kept him back with her whip. Captain America didn’t know what the poison was and didn’t want to find out. Captain America watched her attacks and timed it right to throw his shield and caught her whip pulling it from her hands. Captain America took this chance to close in and attack. Madam Hydra was quick. Captain America tried to hit her with a few punches, but she dodged easily. Madam Hydra caught Captain America’s hands and soon a struggle to push the other down began.   
“You won’t win this one, Captain,” Madam Hydra said.   
“We will save the people in the hospital,’ Captain America replied to her. “And we will bring you in.”  
“I meant you won’t win back your precious assassin. We will have him on our side soon,” Madam Hydra said to Captain America. Captain America felt his anger grow throughout his body when Madam Hydra said this. Captain America pushed her back harder, and she slowly went down to the ground. Captain America was about to knock Madam Hydra out when he felt someone touch his back. It was only for a second and felt like the person pushed off of Captain America. Captain America looked up and saw Mark flipping over the both of them and running into the building.   
“Mark?” Captain America said in disbelief, and Madam Hydra took advantage of the moment. She kicked Steve in the stomach and punched him in the face sending him back. Madam Hydra grabbed her whip from the side before turning to Captain America.   
“The stage is set. Now, this is how we will win him over to join our side,” Madame Hydra said as she swung her whip. Captain America jumped to the side dodging the whip. He held his stomach, still in pain from the kick. Madam Hydra ran inside, and Captain America knew he had to follow. He ran and grabbed his shield before going into the building.   
“You got Bucky?” Captain America asked on the Comlink.   
“I did, but then he started to run inside. I am following him, though,” Lucinda said.   
“Stay on him. Hydra has something planned to get Mark,” Captain America said.   
“What?” Lucinda asked.   
“Just say on Bucky,” Captain America shouted as he ran into the building. He ran up the stairs and came to an area full of Hydra agents. Captain America threw his shield taking out three and caught his shield again before kicking the fourth into the wall. Captain America could hear helicopters flying above the building.   
“Iron Man, what do we have coming in?” Captain America asked.   
“We have our friends from S.H.I.E.L.D. here. I don’t know if they are here to help, though,” Iron Man said.   
“Great,” Captain America said as he ran up a flight of stairs to an open area. Here he saw him. Mark was fighting a Hydra agent. Mark knocked out the agent quickly and turned to look at Captain America.   
“So here today as friend or foe?” Mark asked.   
Captain America froze for a moment. Finally, he answered, “Friend,” and dropped his shield. Mark looked over to see the shield drop to the side. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents came rushing in at that moment.   
“Freeze, you are under arrest for stealing valuable information from headquarters,” said a female voice. Captain America recognized the voice and cursed the fact Maria was here trying to capture Mark. Mark looked up and scanned the area. Captain America knew Mark was planning his escape at the moment, and the agents here didn’t even know it. At that moment, there was an explosion on the floor. Captain America grabbed his shield and used it to block the flying debris from hitting him. He looked over to see the wall was taken out near the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Captain America looked as all the agents got up from the blast and the Captain America turned his attention to Mark. Mark was already gone from sight. Captain America looked around and saw the doors close to the stairs and ran for them. He ran up the stairs and stopped at each floor to see if Mark was in the hallway. Finally, Captain America saw Mark running down the hall of the seventh floor as he entered the floor. Mark turned back to see Captain America at the other end of the hall and turned the corner. Captain America quickly ran down the hall and rounded the corner to see S.H.I.E.L.D. agents firing their guns at Mark. Captain America blocked the bullets with his shield and saw Mark quickly dodging the bullets and taking out each of the guards. One guard was not fully knocked out and slowly got up taking aim at Mark’s back. Captain America quickly ran over and grabbed the gun from the agent, smashing it in his hands then punched the shocked agent knocking him out. Mark watched this and met eyes with Captain America.   
Captain America didn’t know what to do at this moment. He was standing there, locking eyes with Mark. He slowly realized he was not Captain America at this moment, but Steve. Captain America slowly removed his cowl to look at Mark. Mark looked at Steve. “Why are you helping me?” Mark asked.   
“I think you know the answer to that question,” Steve said.   
Mark formed a dagger in his hand. Steve froze not knowing what would happen. Mark threw the dagger, but Steve didn’t move. The dagger flew past Steve, and he turned to see it hitting a Hydra agent. Steve paused for a moment and as the man fell to the ground.   
“Consider the favor paid back,” Steve heard in the distance he looked to see Mark already at the other end of the hallway going up the other set of stairs. Steve was getting annoyed at how Mark was running from all of this. He put his cowl back on, and Captain America ran to follow. Captain America ran all the way up and found Mark on the roof and froze. Mark was standing there speaking to Bucky. They looked almost… friendly. Both turned to Captain America as a Hydra helicopter took off.   
“Iron Man,” Captain America said on the Comlink. “We have a Hydra helicopter taking off from the roof. We need to take it down.”  
“I’m on it Cap,” Iron Man replied. Captain America saw Iron Man fly right on by and fired a shot at the helicopter. The helicopter spun out of control and began to crash down. Captain America saw Mark run to the edge of the building and watch as the helicopter crashed into the side of the hospital.   
“No!” Mark shouted as the blaze from the crash rose up. Slowly, Mark stepped back from the ledge. Captain America watched as Bucky walked over to Mark.   
“This isn’t good. I don’t know if we cleared out the patients on that floor,” Bucky said to Mark. Captain America was confused. Bucky and Hydra were here attacking the hospital, what game were they playing with Mark? Was this the stage Madame Hydra spoke about? Mark turned to Bucky shocked at the news and then slowly looked at Captain America. Captain America had never seen such anger in Mark’s eyes before. He was scared, scared of what Mark would do. Mark slowly walked over to Captain America. Captain America felt himself begin to shake a little as Mark approached him.   
“Why did you give the order to take down the helicopter if people were still in the building?” Mark asked.   
Captain America didn’t respond. He did not know how to respond to Mark’s anger. Mark continued to walk forward. “Steve, why did you give the order!?” Mark shouted.   
Steve met Mark’s eyes, “You remember my name?” Steve asked.   
“You shouted it to me the other night, idiot, and I read your file I took from the S.H.I.E.L.D. database. Answer the question!” Mark shouted. Steve took a step back when Mark shouted.   
“It’s Hydra, we need to stop them at all costs. You know that. They are an evil organization,” Steve explained.   
“What I saw here was two groups of people storm the hospital. I joined to make sure no one got hurt… no innocent bystander got hurt. S.H.I.E.L.D. attacked me, and you gave an order for the tin man to shot down the helicopter. Now, those innocent bystanders could be dead. Who looks evil to you?” Mark asked.   
Steve didn’t know how to answer the question. Mark was right, people could have been hurt. It was his mistake, he only focused on stopping Hydra.   
“We need to stop Hydra at all cost,” Steve said.   
“And innocent lives are worth it?” Mark asked as he slowly backed away. Steve never saw the look Mark gave him at that moment before. Mark looked disgusted in Steve. Steve wished Mark would go back to being angry at him. He never wanted Mark to think so badly of him. Steve stepped forward and grabbed Mark’s arm as he walked away. Mark turned quickly and almost struck Steve in the chest stopping inches from him again.  
“Let me go,” Mark said.   
Steve let go out of fear. He could not take the look Mark gave him. Mark stared at him while they both stood there. Bucky slowly walked over and stood next to Mark.   
“What will it take for S.H.I.E.L.D. to stop hunting him down?” Bucky asked.   
Steve looked over at Bucky then back at Mark. He was so confused by their stance and behavior. Steve finally answered. “The files you took. They want them back. You broke into S.H.I.E.L.D. to get information. They won’t let that slide even though you are an Avenger,” Steve said. Mark began to laugh as Steve finished his sentence.   
“Me? An Avenger? I would condone that?” Mark said pointing to the side where the helicopter crashed. Mark reached into one of his pockets and threw a USB drive at Steve.   
“Here, these are the files. I was looking for information on myself. I don’t need it anymore,” Mark said as he turned to walk away. Bucky followed him. Steve only watched as they both walked away from him.   
“Please come home,” Steve finally said.   
“I don’t even know where home is,” Mark said standing near the ledge next to Bucky.   
“Your home is with the Avengers, with…me,” Steve said. “You know this deep down.”  
“I am not sure you know how memory loss works. I found out my name a few days ago from a file. You keep saying I know it to be true, but I don’t. From what I saw here today, how could I be part of something that put innocent people in danger?” Mark asked.   
Steve didn’t know how to answer. He only heard another helicopter flying in near them. Steve saw Madame Hydra inside. She reached her hand out and helped Bucky into the helicopter. The helicopter hovered there for a moment as Mark and Steve stared at one another.   
“You coming?” Bucky asked Mark. Steve watched as Mark looked at Bucky then back to Steve. Mark slowly walked over and reached for Bucky’s hand.   
“Please don’t,” Steve shouted at Mark. Mark turned to look at Steve.   
“You know there is something here. You have to know it,” Steve said.   
“But I don’t Steve. All I know is you put people in danger. I don’t think I can say there is something here,” Mark said as he turned back to Bucky and grabbed his hand. Bucky pulled Mark into the helicopter. As soon as Mark was inside, the helicopter pulled away and flew off.   
Steve stood there not knowing what to do. Mark went with Hydra. He left with them, and Steve gave the order which swayed Mark’s decision.   
“I see another helicopter, take it down?” Iron Man asked.   
“Don’t!” Steve shouted on the Comlink. “Mark is on it.”  
Steve watched as the helicopter flew out of sight. Steve fell to his knees. Steve felt the tears build in his eyes. He heard Iron Man land near him on the roof.   
“Steve? What happened?” Tony asked.   
Steve couldn’t answer. He didn’t even look up at Tony. Steve felt a hand on his shoulder. “Steve, why was Mark on that helicopter?” Tony asked.   
Steve finally said what he feared was the truth. “I think because of me, Mark joined Hydra.”


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25  
Tony  
Tony needed some air after that board meeting. He could not believe he would rather be at Stark Industries than at the Avenger Mansion. Steve had been taking the whole situation worse than anything else in the past. Steve truly thought Mark had joined Hydra, and nothing any of them could say would convince him otherwise. Tony wondered if this idea hurt Steve more than Steve being frozen in ice for seventy years. Steve spent most of his time in his room alone or in the gym training and preparing for what he thought it would come down to, taking down Mark. Tony didn’t think Mark would join Hydra, and Andrea supported this thought. Still, Steve blamed himself for letting it happen. Steve made the call for Tony to shot down the helicopter and that act made Mark hate him. Steve couldn’t see it any other way, and Tony couldn’t stand seeing Steve this way. Being in the mansion meant realizing Tony played a part in all this. He hated seeing his friend this way. Not even Andrea could break through to Steve, and that meant helping Andrea with her anxiety over the whole situation. Tony thought it would be best to let Andrea work through things in the lab alone since her anxiety made every move he made a horrible event. Tony found solace at Stark Industries, but he couldn’t stand another meeting and decided to go out for coffee.   
Tony walked down the street and saw a sandwich stand near Stark Industries. Tony decided to grab a bite to eat as well. The line was long, but Tony walked to the front of the line. The owner gave Tony a glare, which quickly went away when Tony put a hundred dollar bill down and told the man to keep the change. In a moment, Tony got his Philly cheesesteak and began eating it. He enjoyed the sandwich more than he thought he would. He soon realized how spoiled they all were by Mark’s cooking at the mansion. Tony couldn’t help but wonder how Mark could improve on something as simple as a Philly cheesesteak. The sandwich quickly disappeared as Tony walked to the coffee shop. Tony decided, this time, to wait in line. He couldn’t help but wonder how the Avengers were going to get through this one. Not only did they have Winter Soldier on the side of Hydra, but Mark also lost his memory and possible is part of Hydra as well. Hydra agents began attacking more hospitals and other standing public places which began to cause mass panic in the city. What were they going to do?  
Tony heard people complaining behind him as he realized it was his turn to order. Tony got a basic black coffee, the only thing which could get him through the day. He paid for the coffee with a twenty dollar bill and walked away leaving the rest as a tip. Tony slowly took a sip of his coffee then almost spit it out on the floor. He could not believe who he was looking at right now. There in the coffee shop on his laptop was Mark. Mark tried to wear a disguise but it wasn’t much to the imagination, he looked as he always did in his normal clothes only, this time, he wore glasses. Tony could not believe Mark was here. Tony looked around and saw no one else suspicious in the coffee shop. Mark was here alone. Tony wondered how he could approach Mark. He needed to figure out a way to keep Mark around him while the others could get here. It was the only way to show Steve that Mark was not part of Hydra and maybe pull him out of his depression.   
Tony casually pulled out his cell phone and walked over to the side. He was trying to act like he was answering an email or looking something up when he was sending a text message to everyone.   
“You won’t believe this, but I found Mark. I am going to get him to Stark Industries. Get there in thirty, we will be in the lab. I will find a way to get him there,” Tony wrote and sent the message. Tony couldn’t even put his phone in his pocket before he felt it vibrate with multiple responses. Tony looked at the messages and realized everyone replied once except Steve. Steve kept asking questions about if Mark was with Hydra, if he looked alright, and if he was mad at Steve. Tony didn’t bother to respond to Steve. Instead, he sent a message to Andrea.   
“Please manage Steve. He sounds crazy,” Tony wrote. Andrea wrote back to him.   
“I will try, but in full honesty, he has gone a bit crazy. I see him now still texting you. Just ignore him. We will be there.”  
Tony saw four more text messages from Steve. Tony sighed and put his phone in his pocket. Now he wondered how he could get Mark in the lab. Tony then realized he needed to be Tony Stark at this moment, not Iron Man. He developed the plan in his head as he walked over to Mark.   
“So this is where you have been working?” Tony asked. Mark didn’t even look at Tony he just kept working on his laptop. Tony then sat down at the table. “So ignoring your boss?”   
Mark looked over at his laptop and raised an eyebrow. Mark fixed his glasses before he spoke. “I’m sorry…what?”  
Tony took a sip of his coffee. He smiled then spoke. “Well, I just wondered where you were the last couple of weeks. I didn’t see you in the lab working. I didn’t know you were doing your work here at the coffee shop.” Tony stood up and walked over to Mark’s side. Mark closed the laptop as Tony walked over.   
“What I can’t see what you were working on for my industry?” Tony asked.   
“Sorry, that’s not for just anyone’s eyes. Kind of a secret project I am working on,” Mark said.   
“So working on a big project to surprise the board members? Good, you always did come up with the best ideas. This is why it’s been tough with you gone for so long from Stark Industries. How was your vacation by the way?” Tony asked.   
Mark looked confused. “Vacation?” Mark asked.   
Tony knew he was getting Mark to believe his words. “Well, why else would you be gone for weeks. Although, I don’t remember approving more than a week off. You are one of my best minds, so I will let it slide. Why don’t we head back to the lab, and I can catch you up on what you missed while you were gone.” Tony waited and remained calm but secretly was hoping Mark would fall for this.   
Mark sat thinking for a second then unplugged his laptop and put it in his bag. Mark then gathered the cord and put it in the bag as well. “Alright, I guess you can catch me up on what’s been going on in the lab,” Mark said.   
Tony did a small victory dance in his head. He was glad this worked, especially since he felt his phone vibrate about a hundred more times, all most likely messages from Steve. “Well let’s head on over,” Tony said as he led the way. Mark put his bag on his shoulder and followed. Tony walked down the street making sure Mark was following him. Mark was looking down and seemed to be lost in thought, somehow Mark believed the lie Tony said.   
“So you only approved for a week vacation?” Mark asked.   
Tony took a sip of his coffee. “Yeah, I remember approving it a while back. You took a week off and then I didn’t see you in the lab when you were supposed to be back. I asked other people, and they didn’t see you. I assumed you were working on a big project, and from how you are acting, I would say it seems like you are.”  
Mark held the strap of his bag tighter, “Yeah, something big.” Tony smiled and walked through the doors of Stark Industries. Tony walked to the elevator and hit the button. Mark stood there and looked around. It looked like Mark was lost in thought while they waited for the elevator. Tony felt bad lying to Mark, Mark looked to be trying to make sense of all of this. Tony could only imagine how Mark was confused without his memory while Tony continued to feed him lies. Tony would need to make it up to him later.   
The elevator door opened, and Tony stepped in. Mark hesitated for a moment and then walked in. Tony hit the button for the basement, which held the most advanced laboratory in Stark Industries. Tony glanced over and saw Mark staring at the door, tapping on the strap of his bag. Tony felt more guilt for lying to Mark but knew it was for the best. The doors opened, and Tony led the way. Tony looked around, “Huh, this is weird. No one’s in the lab.” Tony knew most people took a long lunch since they worked in the lab as much as he did. He knew it would be empty at this time.   
“Yeah, highly suspicious,” Mark said raising an eyebrow.   
“Oh well. I can always show you what we have been working on down here. Although you know some of the projects since they still continued after you went on vacation,” Tony said leading the way down the hall.   
“Um, yeah. Sure,” Mark replied following Tony. Tony walked through and explained some of the lower end technology Stark Industries had been working on in the first few labs. Tony could see Mark was losing interest in the topics but deep in thought on something else.   
“Was I really working on some of this stuff?” Mark asked.   
Tony smiled, “Well no. This is all the lower end stuff we are working on. More the maintenance projects for the larger scale stuff. But I can show you the bigger stuff you were working on.” Tony couldn’t resist a moment to gloat about his work. He swiped his key card to the locked computer room and gestured for Mark to walk in first. Mark took a step forward and paused at the door. Mark looked overwhelmed by the sight of everything. He adjusted his glasses while he took it all in.   
“No need to be afraid, go on in,” Tony said.   
“Thanks,” Mark said, and he quickly grabbed the keycard from Tony and kicked him sending him flying backward. Mark locked the door behind him with the key card and went to the computer.   
Tony slowly got up from the floor, holding his chest where Mark kicked him. “What are you doing?” Tony asked.   
“Hacking your database for your projects. Going to download them on this,” Mark said as he held up a USB drive. “Might prove useful to know what you are doing and who knows what the top buyers will pay for it all.”  
“What?” Tony asked stunned. “But how did you…”  
“Please,” Mark said cutting Tony off. “The famous Tony Stark is Iron Man. It wasn’t that difficult to figure out. I posted outside in the coffee shop hoping you would see me. Took a week, and I know the Avengers are looking for me for some reason. So you would take the chance to talk to me and bring me here. I didn’t think you would walk me straight into the lab. Thanks for that.” Mark said as he worked on the computer.   
“Did you read about me in the files you took?” Tony asked.   
“That would have been one way,” Mark said. “Or the fact you announced to the world Tony Stark is Iron Man years ago would have been another. You know how many news articles I found on you? I may have lost my memory, but I know how to do my research.”  
Tony walked over to the door. “You won’t break in, my system is foolproof,” Tony said with a smile.   
“True, that’s why I brought these,” Mark said pointing to his glasses. He hit a switch, and they glowed green. Soon Tony could see Mark getting into the system with no trouble.   
Tony quickly worked to override the security system.   
“Yeah, already changed that. It was the first thing I did when I got into the system,” Mark said. Tony saw a flash and realized Mark was taking pictures of the plans on the computer as well. Tony reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He saw the last message from Steve reading “Here.” Tony knew he needed to stop Mark. Tony walked over to the wall and pulled a lever putting his hand in and revealing an Iron Man gauntlet. Tony aimed at the door and fired a repulse beam. The blast caused the glass to shatter and the door to blow open. Tony covered his face to shield himself from the glass.   
When Tony uncovered his face, he was met with another kick as Mark went running past him. Tony rolled to the floor but quickly got up chasing after Mark. Mark slammed another door behind him and locked it with the keycard. Tony held up his hand and blasted the door with the same effect as the previous one. This time, Tony kept running while he shielded his face. Tony felt another kick in the stomach and Mark grabbed his arm throwing Tony to the side, crashing into computers on a desk. Tony rolled to the ground as he watched Mark walk to the elevator.   
“Thanks for the data, Stark,” Mark said as he hit the button. The elevator was on its way down. The doors opened in front of Mark.   
“Oh great,” Mark said as he met the fists of Black Widow. Tony saw as three other Avengers joined the scene. Black Widow was fighting Mark leading him backward away from the elevator. Lucinda joined in the fight, and now it was two against one. Hawkeye walked in and fired an arrow into the elevator. The explosion meant Mark couldn’t leave through that route.   
Tony grabbed his side as he watched Black Widow and Lucinda try their best against Mark. Mark was too fast for them. He quickly blocked their hits and soon turned the fight around putting them in the defense. Hawkeye took aim with his stun arrow and fired it at Mark. Mark caught the arrow in mid-air, then hit it against Black Widow’s leg. She was shocked and went down to the ground. Mark then quickly swung around and kicked Lucinda then grabbed her arm throwing her at Hawkeye. Both went crashing into the wall, Hawkeye looking to take most of the hit from the wall. Tony slowly stood up and aimed his gauntlet up at Mark.   
“You need to stop this,” Tony said.   
“Stop what? Being a badass? Don’t know how to do that I am afraid,” Mark said as he slowly walked to the stairs.   
“Don’t make me shot you,” Tony said.   
Mark opened the door part way and looked back at Tony. “Well, are you going to fire or no?” Mark asked taunting Tony. Tony knew he should take the shot, but he feared hurting Mark. Mark opened the door the rest of the way. “Thought so,” And ran up the stairs.   
“Damn,” Tony said as he ran after Mark. He couldn’t risk hurting Mark. Steve would never forgive him if his blast did more damage than he planned. Mark couldn’t heal like he did before and who knew how much of a blast he could take.  
Tony felt pain in his chest as he ran up the stairs. He knew it was only a few flights before he reached ground level but he was sure he was running with at least two broken ribs. Tony rounded the stairs just one flight away from the door. The other door opened slamming into Tony. Tony went flying back down the stairs. Now he was sure at least three ribs were broken. Tony looked up to see Mark at the door.   
“Sorry,” Mark said as he slowly began walking up the last flight.   
“You can’t do this,” Tony said as he looked up at Mark.   
“And why not?” Mark asked.   
“Cause this isn’t you,” Tony heard from above them. Tony and Mark looked up to see Steve standing there.   
“And how would you know what is me?” Mark asked folding his arms.   
“If I told you, would you believe me?” Steve asked. Mark took a step back as Steve took one step down.   
“Probably not. And I am an assassin. This is what I do. Steal things, sell them on the black market. You don’t know anything about me,” Mark said.   
“I know more than you know. For instance, you didn’t kill anyone, did you?” Steve said as he took another step forward. Tony noticed, this time, Mark didn’t take a step backward. Steve was right, although Mark was still an assassin he didn’t kill any of them even though he had ample opportunity to do just that.   
“I took down four Avengers, you think I can’t take down a fifth?” Mark said.   
Steve paused for a moment then took another step down the stairs. “I don’t think this is about your ability to take down an Avenger. I don’t think you will hit me,” Steve said. Tony noticed Mark reacted to Steve’s words. Mark took one step back. Mark couldn’t hurt Steve at all, or more he didn’t want to. It was like the night on the roof. Something was stopping Mark from hurting Steve.   
“Did you really join Hydra?” Steve asked.   
Mark looked up and met Steve’s eyes. “Did you really call an order to take down a helicopter to hurt innocent people?”   
Steve winced at Mark’s question. Tony could see the hurt on Steve’s face as soon as Mark said those words. Steve let out a sigh, “I made a bad call. I know I put people in danger. I can’t make up for my mistake.”  
“Why even make the call in the first place?” Mark asked.   
“Because Hydra harms innocent people all the time for the sake of war. That’s what they do. I needed to stop them at all cost,” Steve said.   
Mark didn’t turn his gaze away from Steve. Tony could see Steve looking away nervously while Mark maintained his intensity. “Why didn’t you make the call to shoot down the second helicopter? Hydra forces were in it? It would make sense to take down the second one as well,” Mark said.   
Steve grabbed his arm and rubbed it delaying his response.   
“Well?” Mark asked.  
“Because you were in that helicopter,” Steve said looking at Mark. Mark looked surprised at Steve’s answer.   
“That doesn’t mean I am going to hand this over to you, and I won’t let you stop me here,” Mark said readying himself to fight.   
“I am not here to stop you. I’m not here as Captain America, I’m here as Steve. If you don’t want to listen, then fine. I will let you pass. I just needed to talk with you,” Steve said.   
Mark slowly let down his arms. He looked hesitant to believe Steve. Tony watched as Steve stepped to the side for Mark to pass. Mark slowly walked up the stairs and paused as he stood next to Steve. Steve did nothing, as he said. He let Mark walk past him and to the door. Mark stopped as he opened the door.   
“I didn’t join them,” Mark said.   
Steve and Tony looked up. “What?” Steve asked.   
“You asked if I joined Hydra. I didn’t. I don’t know who to trust right now. It’s even more confusing than ever. But just so you know I didn’t join them,” Mark said.   
Steve smiled as Mark walked through the door. Steve ran down to help Tony up. As soon as Tony was up, he pushed Steve off of him to follow Mark.   
“Damn it, Steve. He has some really important information. Everything he took holds the future of this company,” Tony said as he ran up. Steve just sat where Tony was lying on the ground.   
“You know he is long gone from here, Tony. Least we know he didn’t join Hydra. Who knows if he listened to anything I said,” Steve said as he held his head in his hands. Tony looked down at his friend and realized he was right. Mark would be long gone, but it was still worth a shot to see if he could catch him. Tony ran up the stairs and opened the door.   
“I think he heard you,” Tony said to Steve. Tony looked back to Steve looking up at him in confusion. Tony gestured with his head for Steve to look at what was outside the door. Steve stood up and walked over to where Tony was standing. Steve looked down at the floor.   
“What is that?” Steve asked.   
Tony stepped forward and picked up a USB drive and a pair of glasses. “These are what held all the files Mark took. He left them here for us…well for you,” Tony said.   
Steve grabbed the glasses from Tony and looked at them. “Mark had something in these?” Steve asked.   
“They can hack a computer and take pictures. I saw him use it in the lab. I think he listened to you, Steve.” Tony said grabbing the glasses from Steve and putting them on.   
Steve smiled. “I liked them better on Mark,” Steve said.   
“Of course, you do,” Tony said as he rolled his eyes. “Come on, we got to get the others, I think they are as damaged as I am,” Tony said as he began to walk down the stairs. Tony walked down a flight when he noticed Steve was still looking out the door.   
“You said it yourself, Steve. He is long gone from here,” Tony said.   
“Yeah,” Steve said finally turning around and walking down the stairs. “I just hoped he would come back to us.”  
Steve walked over next to Tony. “You mean to you?” Tony asked. Steve blushed for a moment.   
“Finally, the old Steve Rogers is returning. Does this mean you will shave again?” Tony asked.  
Steve scratched at his stubble, “Not sure, Mark once said he liked it. It might get him to come back to me sooner.”  
“Please do something about your hobo like demeanor. We already have to deal with the fact he won’t hurt you but will do a number on all of us,” Tony said holding his side. Steve saw this and offered Tony some help as they walked down the stairs.   
“Maybe I should be the one to go against him. Like you said, he won’t hurt me,” Steve said.   
“I think everyone will agree. Let’s make it official now. I am tired of being his punching bag,” Tony said.   
“Rather be someone else’s punching bag?” Steve asked. Tony glared at Steve.   
“The only one allowed to leave bruises on me is Andrea. And in her own way,” Tony said. Steve turned red as he realized what Tony was referring to.   
Tony smiled, “It’s good to have the old Steve back. Including your prudish ways during conversations.”  
Steve laughed as he helped Tony walk down the stairs.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26  
Mark  
Mark walked into the warehouse. He could see many Hydra agents training in the open area as well as a few working in the laboratory on the other side of the warehouse. The space was large for an organization such as Hydra, least that’s what he thought. The truth was, Mark didn’t know what to think anymore. Every time he ran into the Avengers, he couldn’t work at his full capacity. There was something about them, well something about Steve Rogers. Mark tried to find all he could in the files, but the files only dated back to the time Captain America joined the Avengers. He couldn’t find any information on the last few years. The only person who possibly could have information was Bucky Barnes. Mark needed to get information out of Bucky, and he knew being in the Hydra base would be dangerous. Mark needed to act like he trusted Madame Hydra to get close to Bucky. Bucky was the only person who didn’t attack him and showed him kindness since he lost his memory. It might be foolish, but Bucky Barnes was the only one Mark could put any trust in right now.   
Mark walked through the warehouse. He didn’t pay any attention to the stares the soldiers gave him. Mark never swore allegiance to Hydra, and because of this, many of the soldiers were uncertain how t respond to Mark. Mark wasn’t about to join something he had no information about, but he would use them as much as possible to get his memories back.   
Mark began to walk up the stairs to the office area of the warehouse. It was where Bucky would be if he were here. Mark was going to get answers out of him. Mark opened the door to the office.   
“And where have you been?” Mark heard from a woman on the other side of the office. It was Madame Hydra, glaring at Mark from her desk.   
“Since when do I need to check in? Or even answer to anyone?” Mark asked as he returned a glare back to Madame Hydra. Mark walked a fine line with this woman. He made it clear he owed her nothing, not for the helicopter ride, not for letting him in the warehouse. Mark owed Bucky for both of those things, not Madame Hydra.   
Mark looked over to see Bucky sitting on the couch, Mark took the seat next to him.   
“Least tell me what you have been up to? I see you had another run in with the Avengers at Stark Industries,” Madame Hydra said as she turned her computer screen around. News traveled faster than Mark expected.   
“I did, and what of it. I clearly made it out alive,” Mark said leaning back. Mark felt a nudge. It was Bucky warning him to tone it down.   
“If you don’t mind sharing, what were you doing in Stark Industries?” Madame Hydra asked as she folded her hands. Mark looked over to Bucky, who gestured with his head for Mark to share. Mark let out a sigh.   
“I was doing what your soldiers couldn’t do for weeks. I broke into the labs and was in the process of stealing schematics, data, and all information on future Stark Industries projects. I ran into some trouble,” Mark said.   
Madame Hydra smiled, “Did you make it out with the information?”   
Mark held up his empty hands, “Nope. I said I ran into some trouble. Tony Stark was working on locking me in the lab so the Avengers could capture me. I didn’t plan on him calling them ahead of time. I thought I had about fifteen minutes to complete my task when I got into the lab, it was more like three minutes before the Avengers arrived. I got out, but the data didn’t. It’s tough to get through five Avengers.”  
Madame Hydra’s face went from a smile to a scowl. “You had no trouble before in the hospital, or the rooftop of S.H.I.E.L.D. Why would the lab be any different? You should have made out with the information.”  
Mark leaned in forward after Madame Hydra spoke, “How do you know about my run-in with them at S.H.I.E.L.D.?” Mark asked.   
Madame Hydra typed on her keyboard and brought up files on Mark. “We have been watching you for some time. Barnes told you we have been trying to break out of the hospital. We lost a strong member, we wanted to get you back. You were an important part of Hydra. So I know you are capable of handling the Avengers and completing your objective.”  
Mark leaned back in his seat. He could tell Madame Hydra was lying. She wasn’t good at letting her actions support her words. But Mark needed to be careful how he answered this. He tried to buy as much time as he could for his brain to process a believable lie. “In full honesty, I should have made it out with the data. The lab was smaller than I planned, and a lot of glass rooms. In the hospital, I only dealt with Captain America, so it was an easy task. On the rooftops of S.H.I.E.L.D., I had plenty of open space to manage the five of them. I mean I jumped on Iron Man to break into his system and take him down. I didn’t have that luxury in the lab. It's in the basement, and like I said the rooms are small with six people fighting, not to mention it was five against one. Hawkeye shot an explosive arrow in the elevator, so I needed to plan another escape other than the elevator ducts. I was lucky to make it out. Even if I didn’t make it out with the data.” Mark’s eyes went big for a moment as he reached to his chest and side. Mark then looked down at the floor seeing nothing. “Damn,” Mark said as he leaned his head back on the couch.   
“What?” Bucky asked.   
“Not only did I not complete my objective, but I left my laptop at Stark Industries. When Tony blasted the door and shattered the glass, I took the opportunity to attack, not remembering to grab my bag,” Mark explained. “Damn,” Mark said again stomping his foot on the ground.   
Madame Hydra leaned back in her chair. “What was so valuable on the laptop. I hope nothing of Hydra or our location,” She asked.   
Mark glared at Madame Hydra as he sat up. “Do you take me as an amateur assassin? Of course, nothing about your location or my many safe houses were on that laptop. It did hold a lot of research about my memories. All that work, lost,” Mark said leaning forward putting his face in his hands. Mark could feel Bucky’s hand on his back. It was Bucky’s metallic hand. It was a nice gesture, but Mark could only feel cold metal against him right now. It didn’t help.   
“How unfortunate,” Madame Hydra said as she stood up from her seat. She hit a button on her desk. “Will Agent twenty-four please come to my office,” Madame Hydra requested. Mark looked up wondering what Madame Hydra was doing.   
Madame Hydra walked over to the front of her desk and sat on it. Agent twenty-four walked in but hesitated when he saw Mark and Bucky standing there. Mark looked at the Agent, confused what was going on.   
“It is sad you lost all your information. You are lucky no information about Hydra got back to the Avengers. We can help make up for the lost research, but if we were compromised, something worse would have happened,” Madame Hydra explained.   
“Yeah? Like what?” Mark asked with a challenge. Madame Hydra only smiled as she took a step forward. “Come in Agent Twenty-four. You are just in time for me to explain to Mark what would happen,” Madame Hydra gestured for Agent Twenty-four to come closer. He complied. Mark watched curiously as the agent stood near Madame Hydra.   
“You see, we have a big mission ahead of us. We can’t have anything about what our leader was working on years ago leaked to S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Twenty-four didn’t quite see the importance of the mission. I found out he was leaking some information to S.H.I.E.L.D.,” Madame Hydra said as she grabbed the agent’s neck. The man struggled to breathe as her grip tightened. “Let’s show Mark what happens to those who compromise our mission,” Madame Hydra said as she scratched the agent’s neck and he fell to the floor.   
“Jesus,” Mark said as he saw some blood on the ground. Mark looked up at Madame Hydra, who was smiling. Mark then heard the agent gasping and holding his neck. Mark kneeled down to turn the agent over, and his scratch wounds now were black showing all the veins near the open cuts. The agent struggled to breathe but was something worse was happening, the agents slowed his breathing until it eventually stopped. Mark picked up the man’s wrist, but there was no pulse. Mark looked up at Madame Hydra.   
“My own concoction. You see, my other name is Viper. Known for making many different poisons to use against my enemies. All the poisons come from my blood, so they do not affect me. But they can make a very nice nail polish,” Madame Hydra said as she cleaned the blood from her nails.   
“Different kinds of poisons?” Mark asked.   
“Any poison you could think of, I have made it and still have it. It’s something I hope to use on the Avengers soon. Know if you step out of line or compromise our information, you face the same fate Agent twenty-four did,” Madame Hydra said as she stepped over to the door. “Clean this mess up for me, will you?” She asked as she left the office. Mark slowly sat back on the couch. What did he get himself into, this woman was crazy. And now he needed to stay. S.H.I.E.L.D. was after him. Hydra was working against S.H.I.E.L.D. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Mark thought as he looked over at the dead agent. Or at least as close to a friend as he could hope for right now.   
The only person he could hope to trust here was Bucky. Madame Hydra is dangerous alone, and now with all of her poisons she could make, who knows the chaos that could bring. Mark began to regret entering this warehouse.   
Mark leaned back on the couch and was lost in his own thoughts. He had so much more to think about in this dangerous game of chess he was playing. He needed information, but who knew getting it would put him in so much danger. Mark needed to make a plan. He needed someone who he could trust here, the only person that pointed to was Bucky.   
Bucky rested his hand on Mark’s shoulder. “She won’t hurt you. I won’t let her. Don’t worry. And we will work on getting your research back or follow any leads you were working on. I can help.”  
“Thanks. But her ability to make any poison is dangerous. I don’t know what she could really be capable of doing…” Mark paused in mid-sentence and leaned over to Bucky. Bucky froze, and Mark checked his neck, face, and chest. “Give me your arm,” Mark said.   
Bucky looked confused by he complied, “Okay…” Bucky said as he handed Mark his arm. Mark brushed it away. “Your non-metallic arm,” Mark clarified. Bucky let Mark examine his arm, and Bucky felt weird during the whole situation. “No scratches,” Mark said. Mark breathed a sigh of relief. Bucky adjusted his sleeve back to how it was and fixed his shirt.   
“What was that about?” Bucky asked.   
“Sorry,” Mark said. “I needed to make sure she didn’t get any type of poison into you. You have no scratch marks, so I guess she didn’t get to you. She can make any type of poison, this can mean anything.”  
Bucky nodded his head understanding what Mark was doing now. “So what about your research. I mean it’s gone, do you have to start from scratch again?” Bucky asked.   
Mark leaned back on the couch. “No, I had a lead actually,” Mark said.   
“Good, so what was the lead?” Bucky asked. Mark looked over to Bucky, “You were my lead.”  
“What?” Bucky asked.   
“I had some files from S.H.I.E.L.D. I was able to find my name in the files. But the night I was first attacked by the Avengers, I couldn’t really fight against Captain America. I found myself holding back, I never even landed a hit. Captain America tripped on his own feet which caused him to fall to the ground. Each time I run into him, something is stopping me from hurting him. And for some reason, he is not fighting back against me. Today he didn’t even come after me as Captain America. He came as Steve Rogers. He let me go, Bucky. He could have stopped me in the stairwell, but he let me walk right past him. I don’t know what it is with him.”  
“Oh…” Bucky said after Mark explained. Mark could see some sadness in Bucky’s eyes, which Mark could not understand where it came from. “Where do I come in?” Bucky asked.   
Mark sat up and turned to look at Bucky. “In the files, I found you knew Steve Rogers. You and he used to be best friends. Both of you grew up in the same time and were part of the same squad in World War II. Both of you were frozen in time. You are my best bet to find out anything on him. The files didn’t cover the last few years, only when Steve joined the Avengers. I need you to remember anything you can about him.”  
Bucky took in all the information. Mark had been working on a lot to get back his memory. Bucky thought for a long moment and finally spoke. “I don’t remember much on Steve to b honest. I feel bad for your situation because I was in the same spot before. I lost my memories as well, and I can remember our past really well, but not the most recent years. I don’t think I can tell you anything the files didn’t tell you already. I will help in any way I can, but sorry I can’t give more information,” Bucky said.   
“Damn,” Mark said. Mark looked forward and leaned on his elbows. “I really hoped you would know something. I guess I am back to the drawing board for this one.”  
Bucky put his hand on Mark’s shoulder, “You still have a lead, just, not more information right now. Steve and I did have a past, but it means nothing right now. He changed. He joined the Avengers and fought against me. I am just worried I will lose you like I lost him to the Avengers. I will still help you though.”  
Mark turned to Bucky, who held a stoic face while speaking to Mark. Mark never saw him smile which he found odd. Still, Mark smiled at Bucky. “Thanks,” Mark said. And stood up from the chair.   
“Where are you going?” Bucky asked.   
“For a walk,” Mark said as he avoided hitting the body as he walked. “That bitch can clean up her own mess if she wants to take down her own soldiers.”  
Mark walked over to the door when he felt his arm being grabbed. He turned to see Bucky standing there. “Promise me, you will be careful. I will make sure she doesn’t hurt you, but that woman…” Bucky looked back at the body on the floor, “ is capable of anything.”  
Mark looked at Bucky when he turned back around. Mark met Bucky’s eyes but couldn’t read much into them. Bucky maintained his facial expression, which left Mark confused. “Why do you care so much? I mean you said you don’t remember the last few years. I don’t remember much of anything. Why care about me?” Mark asked.   
Bucky lets go of Mark’s arm and let his slowly fall to his side. “Like I said before, I lost Steve to the Avengers. You are the only person I have seen as a friend, and I almost lost you to them a few times. You are someone important. Someone I am supposed to keep close. That’s the only thing going on in my mind when I see you. I was glad to see you on the rooftop, and I felt an urge to hug you. I can’t really explain it,” Bucky said.   
Mark let a small smile escape, “Sucks we both have no memory. One of us might be able to shed some light on this mystery.”   
Bucky looked up at Mark but did not smile. Mark still found this very odd. Bucky looked like he was going to move but hesitated and froze.   
“You alright?” Mark asked.   
“I…” Bucky began to speak but stopped himself.   
“You can say what you wanted to say Bucky. I hope I can count you as a friend here,” Mark said. Then Bucky stepped forward and hugged Mark. Mark was caught completely off guard by this whole gesture. He didn’t know what to think. Bucky hugged Mark, but Mark just held his hands up. Bucky pulled from the hug and stepped back.   
Mark looked down with his arms still in the air like he was surrendering. “Um…yeah. Was not expecting that,” Mark said.   
“Sorry, I just,” Bucky said then stopped talking. Mark looked up and could see Bucky didn’t know how to gauge Mark’s reaction. “Hey, it just caught me off guard is all. I don’t really know how to take the whole thing. I just…” Mark had stopped himself before he said something stupid.   
“It’s my bad. I don’t know how else to explain why. I have a feeling to keep you close, to make sure you are alright and by our side. I just thought this was it meant,” Bucky explained.   
Mark sighed, “Again both of us not having our memories does not help us. So what did this tell you?” Mark asked.   
“I’m not sure. I just thought it was right. What did it tell you?” Bucky asked.   
“Um…I gotta go. I better leave before Madame Hydra gets back,” Mark said before he opened the door.   
“Nothing huh?” Bucky asked before Mark could leave. Mark sighed, “I don’t know Bucky. I trust you here…but I have too much missing in my head to know what is the truth. Sorry,” Mark said as he closed the door behind him. Mark quickly walked through the warehouse. He did not care if anyone was staring at him, he just wanted to get out and clear his head.   
Mark left the warehouse and went straight down the street. He kept walking, he did not know where he was going, and he didn’t care. He just needed to think. He already had a lot to figure out with Madame Hydra able to poison him in more ways than he could count. Now he needed to figure out this whole hug situation. Truth be told, Mark knew what the answer was to Bucky’s question. He felt nothing. Mark couldn’t tell Bucky, but Bucky called it out before he could leave. He felt nothing for Bucky in that way. Mark couldn’t help but feel guilty about the whole situation. Bucky was helping him, watching out for him, and now Bucky had feelings for him? Great, just what Mark needed to add to the mix of figuring out his past and this whole Steve Rogers thing. Mark could not manage all this at once. He needed to focus. His main goal remained to get his memory back and find out all he could of his past. He needs Bucky for this, Bucky knew Steve Rogers, and Bucky could tell Mark what he remembered about Steve. The danger being Madame Hydra, who could kill Mark at any moment with her poison if she finds out anything about Mark’s investigation into the Avengers, or if she found out Mark left the USB drive and photos for the Avengers, then he might as well be a dead man. He needed to be more careful, which would mean he might need to fight the Avengers again soon to keep her suspicions off of him. The only problem being Steve. Mark couldn’t help but listen to Steve’s words. Steve said he could explain things, but Mark wouldn’t believe him.   
“I wish he just told me,” Mark said to himself. “At least that way I could decide for myself if I would believe him.”  
Mark knew he was going to have to fight Steve soon. He needed to show he could fight against all the Avengers. He was hoping it wouldn’t come down to that, he didn’t know if he could fight against every nerve in his body telling him not to hurt the man. Mark stopped walking down the street and held his head. It felt like it was going to explode with all of this information. Mark needed something to help him calm down. Mark looked around and realized he was deep in the city. He did not know how far or for how long he had walked. He saw a coffee shop near him. He looked up at the name and the whole space looked familiar to him. He decided to walk in and get something to drink. For some reason, Mark felt a hot chocolate was the cure for a stressful situation.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27  
Steve  
Steve felt better after today’s events. Tony was even more excited about Mark leaving the stolen plans behind. Tony took this as a small victory for them against Hydra, Steve didn’t like how Tony was spinning this. Mark was not part of Hydra, so this wasn’t a victory against their foe. This was a victory for slowly getting Mark back to him. Steve got his revenge against Tony anyway, he needed to drag Tony to the hospital to be treated for his wounds. Everyone else had no issues, mainly suffering from a few scrapes and bruises, but Tony had a few broken ribs from Mark. Andrea argued against Tony when it came to going to the hospital. Tony hated hospitals and would not budge on the topic, not until Andrea looked at Steve and Steve picked Tony up and carried him to the hospital. Andrea won her argument and also got the joy of hearing Clint and Natasha poke fun at Tony being carried by Steve. Tony just glared at them the whole time and even when he sat in the hospital bed. Steve waited in the waiting room with everyone else. Andrea sat next to Steve.   
“I noticed you have been smiling the whole time after Mark kicked all our butts and only walked past you, so spill. What has you so happy?” Andrea asked.  
Steve couldn’t help but smile bigger when Andrea asked him. “He isn’t part of Hydra. He… listened to me. At least I think he did,” Steve explained.   
“So does this mean you are going to stop looking like a hobo now that you are in a good mood?” Andrea asked. Steve looked down at his clothes, which looked like his normal everyday clothes. “I don’t look that bad,” Steve said. Andrea glared at Steve and Steve could hear Natasha sigh. Natasha grabbed a small mirror and help it up to Steve. Steve looked at his reflection. “Oh,” Steve said.   
“Yeah, I don’t know when the last time it was that you shaved, washed your hair, or slept. You look awful Steve. It might be good to get some rest now that your mind is at ease. At least a little sleep… for our sanity,” Andrea said.   
“You're driving us crazy with your depression is what Andrea is trying to say. It might be good to take care of yourself a little,” Natasha added.   
“Don’t forget to tell him he smells. Like really bad. Like worse than he does after an intense workout. And none of us can use the training room after him until it’s disinfected by one of Stark’s robots,” Clint went on.   
“He gets it,” Natasha snapped at Clint.   
Steve still smiled even though he was getting the third degree from Clint. Steve felt a hand on his own and looked over at Andrea. “Why not start with something small. Tony will be here a while, and he isn’t speaking to any of us right now since we brought him here against his will. Let’s get a coffee or something. You said hot chocolate helps you,” Andrea offered. Steve let out a small laugh. “Alright. There is a coffee shop nearby. I know it well, we can go there.”  
“Sounds good, we can head over and get something then come back. The walk will be good for you too,” Andrea said.   
“You two go ahead, I need to get my heart checked after someone let his stun arrow shock me,” Natasha said glaring at Clint.   
“Oh, cause I would have known Mark would catch another arrow in mid-air. He lost his powers, how was I suppose to know his reflexes were still that good?” Clint defended. Steve felt a pull on his arm. “Come on, this is getting heated. Soon I am going to hear how Clint got the brunt of the hit when Mark threw me at him,” Andrea said quietly.   
Steve stood up and walked with Andrea they both heard Clint shout, “And I need to be checked for a concussion after I took the brunt of a hit from someone flying at me.” Steve heard a hit as he looked back to see Clint rubbing his arm. Natasha punched him for that statement toward Andrea.   
“Told you,” Andrea said as they walked. Steve hit the button for the elevator, and they both waited for it.   
“So do you really feel better?” Andrea asked Steve. Steve nodded, “I needed to go as Steve Rogers, not as Captain America. He knows me better that way. I know he listened to me. Something got through to him, and I know it.” Steve felt a hug on his arm. “Good,” Andrea said as the elevator opened and they walked in. Steve hit the button for the ground level. The stood in silence, Andrea still holding on to Steve’s arm. Steve didn’t mind. He knew she was in a good mood as well knowing Steve got through to Mark. It was her way of showing how grateful she was for Steve. The elevator opened, and they walked out of the hospital. Andrea looked around and didn’t see the coffee shop.   
“Where is the place?” Andrea asked. Steve pointed to his left. “It's about four blocks that way. Maybe five. It’s the place Mark took me the first time we walked into the city,” Steve said. Steve was about to walk, but he felt his arm being pulled back. Andrea still held on and stood her ground. Steve looked at Andrea.   
“You sure you are okay going there?” Andrea asked.   
Steve smiled, “Yeah, after today it might be good to think of some good memories.”  
“Okay,” Andrea said as she walked. Steve led the way, which was easy with Andrea holding onto his arm. Steve did remember the first day they walked into the city. It would be good to relax and think about how he first started to get to know Mark. Steve wished Mark could allow him to take him there and explain everything that happened years ago.   
“How was it the first time you guys went there?” Andrea asked. It seemed Andrea was reading Steve’s mind, knowing he was thinking of the past.   
“Exactly how you would expect it all. Mark trying to act annoyed when really he cares about what you want and makes sure you are happy with everything going on around you,” Steve said. Steve felt a hit on his side.   
“Don’t tell the story as you already know Mark. Tell it like how you felt on that day. You know he tries to sound annoyed and not caring all the time when he does. Tell it before you knew all that,” Andrea said.   
“What is this, story time?” Steve asked.   
“Yes,” Andrea said holding on tighter to Steve’s arm.   
“Fine,” Steve said. “But let off some on my arm, you’re going to cut the circulation.”   
“Sorry,” Andrea said.   
Steve thought for a moment of how he did feel that day. “It wasn’t all Mark being a grumpy person. It was more of me not really asking for what I wanted. He let me go to the store with him that day. I thought it would be a good way to get to know him better, especially since I messed up the night before. It was warm out, and we stopped at that shop for coffee. Mark wanted to get a drink for the walk and asked if I wanted anything. I don’t really know what is served in coffee shops nowadays, but he got a cold drink, and I wanted something cold as well. I ended up with a hot green tea. Mark saw I didn’t enjoy the hot drink, and he asked me if I wanted something else. I told him, no, and it was fine, but then I burned my tongue on the tea. Mark asked me to hold his drink as he grabbed mine. He tossed mine in the trash and went inside. My tongue was still burned so I took a sip of his drink. I don’t really like coffee, but his drink tasted good. It had chocolate in it, so I drank some more of it. By the time Mark came out fo the coffee shop, half of his drink was already gone. I thought I was going to get yelled at by him. He handed me an iced drink that tasted like green tea. I really liked it. When I handed him his drink back, he looked at the half gone drink and glared at me. I didn’t know what to do, so I just smiled. He didn’t say anything else really he just said come on, and we continued walking.” Steve finished his story and looked over to Andrea she looked up at Steve curiously.   
“Mark didn’t yell at you for drinking his drink?” She asked.   
“No, why?” Steve asked.   
“It’s just weird for him. Mark doesn’t let anyone take things off his plate or drink his drink usually,” Andrea said.   
“You do it all the time, though,” Steve said.   
Andrea smiled, “But I am different. He accepts the fact I will always do it no matter what I am told. I remember when we stayed at the mansion for the first week, Natasha got the death glare from Mark when she drank out of his cup. She then paid for it in training, since then she never drank out fo his cup. You might notice she asks whose cup is whose when Mark is nearby.”  
“Now that you mention it, yeah I do recall that. Huh, I don’t know why he didn’t yell at me,” Steve said.   
“I do,” Andrea said as she leaned her head against Steve’s arm. They stopped to wait for the crosswalk.   
“Please enlighten me then,” Steve said.   
Andrea turned her head, still wearing a smile. “Because he was happy that you had two drinks you enjoyed. He probably felt horrible you got a drink you didn’t want and not only did he find a drink you liked, but you also enjoyed his drink.”  
Steve laughed, “You make it sound so simple.”   
“Why can’t it be that simple?” Andrea asked.   
Steve was about to speak, but then he stopped himself. Maybe it was that simple. Did it need to be that complicated with Mark? Could Mark not just be happy Steve was happy he enjoyed his drink. “Well explain why he never stopped me from stealing his food or drink since then,” Steve said.   
“Another simple answer,” Andrea said as they walked across the street. “Mark knows you enjoy the same things he does. You liked his drink even though you just said yourself you don’t like coffee. He knew you would like whenever he was drinking or eating because you secretly enjoy the same foods as he does, even though you are scared to try new things.”  
Again Steve was going to speak but stopped himself. It couldn’t be that simple.   
“Mark knows what you like. He lets you steal his food cause he knows you will like it. He warns you beforehand that you might not like something cause it is too spicy, but you always steal it and end up liking it. I mean who always makes your tea for you and it is always the way you like it,” Andrea continued.   
She was right. Mark always warned Steve about something that might be too spicy for Steve, but never stopped Steve from stealing a bite if he didn’t warn him. Mark always made Steve’s tea, and he makes it better than Steve can himself. Steve found himself speechless to all these simple answers. It never was anything complicated other than Mark knowing him and allowing Steve to enjoy things.   
“You seem to be lost in thought. Did you not realize all this?” Andrea asked.   
“I guess I didn’t,” Steve said. “I always thought it was something much more complex. I didn’t know it was something as simple as him letting me try new things and making sure I enjoy it.”  
Andrea laughed, “Did you really think he was that complex? I mean it really boils down to that simple sentence to guide all his actions toward you. He wanted you to be happy. He made sure you were.”  
“Yeah. I knew that. I guess I just didn’t know how easy it was to explain,” Steve said reaching his hand into his jacket pocket.   
“Are you still carrying it around?” Andrea asked.   
“Carrying what around?” Steve said trying to act like he didn’t know what Andrea was asking. Andrea sighed and knocked Steve’s hand out of his pocket. Steve hand tightly held a little black box.   
“That,” Andrea pointed at the box.   
“Oh…” Steve said realizing he was that obvious. Steve looked at the box and moved it around in his hands. He was wondering if he was ever going to be able to give Mark the contents of it.   
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here when his memory started to go. I could have realized it before everyone else did or before he told you. I wish you could have asked him,” Andrea said.   
“Me too. But it might be better I didn’t. I don’t know how I would have reacted if he said yes and then his memory was gone. I would have a fiance who didn’t know who I was,” Steve said.   
Andrea hit Steve in the chest, “What do you mean if he said yes? You know he would.”  
Steve laughed, “You sound so sure he would.”   
“All the Avengers would bet their life savings on him saying yes. Hell, Furry would probably put his good eye on the line for Mark to say yes. Don’t act as if he would think of saying no,” Andrea huffed.   
“You’re right,” Steve said with a laugh.   
“As I say to Tony, I am always right. You are going to have to learn like he did,” Andrea said. Steve laughed again and looked up to see they were in front of the coffee shop. Steve held the door open for Andrea to walk in. The place was busy, there was even a line.   
“I will get us some hot chocolates, and you grab a table,” Andrea said.   
“Alright,” Steve said. Andrea left to go to the counter. Steve looked around at the lounge and realized Andrea gave him the more difficult task. The people were crowding around small tables, and he was not sure if he would be able to find a spot. Steve saw a large group of people leaving, clearing about three tables. He would be sure to get one table. Steve walked toward the crowd. Everyone bumped past him as he made his way to claim a table. Steve sat down in victory, having a spot for him and Andrea. Steve then realized he was still holding the black box in his hand. He always kept it near him, he didn’t know why. He felt it grounded him in some way. It was a reminder of what Mark meant to him, and that hope was not lost. If Steve ever did lose this box, he would probably lose his mind. Steve put the black box in his pocket and felt a piece of paper in it. Steve pulled out the paper as he put the box back in his pocket. It was a note. Steve looked around, but no one looked familiar to him. Steve opened the note.  
“You said I wouldn’t believe you if you told me the truth. Well, I am listening now. Meet me at 7 pm at the address below.”  
The note was signed by Mark. Steve stood up and went to the front of the store. He did his best not to crash into too many people, but he was in a rush. Steve opened the door and stood there looking around. He didn’t see Mark in any direction. He looked back at the note. Seven o’clock was only two hours away. He didn’t know how long it would take to get to the address. Steve needed to go, but he couldn’t tell Andrea. Steve walked back into the coffee shop.   
“Steve, you alright? I see you didn’t get us a table,” Andrea said walking over with two hot chocolates. She handed Steve one. Steve looked down at it and got lost in his own thoughts.   
“Something wrong? You were in such a good mood a second ago,” Andrea said.   
Steve looked up, “Yeah I am fine. I was just thinking, maybe I should walk and relive some of the good memories like I did with you. It might be good for me to think of them in the simple way you put it.”  
Andrea took a sip of the hot chocolate, “Want company?”   
“No, I think I need to go alone. You head back to the hospital. Thanks for the hot chocolate, though,” Steve said as he opened the door.   
“Oh Steve,” Andrea said as Steve looked back. “You’re a horrible liar. Tell Mark I said hello if he remembers me.”  
Steve smiled when he knew he was caught in his lie. “I will,” Steve said still standing there.   
“And also,” Andrea said walking over and taking the note from Steve. “You still need help using the GPS,” Andrea said as she held out her hand for Steve’s phone. Steve handed it to her, and she typed the address on his phone. The GPS said it would take about an hour walking distance. “Here,” Andrea said handed Steve the phone. “And for future reference, don’t lie to me,” Andrea said as she punched Steve in the chest.   
“Ow, fine,” Steve said rubbing his wound. “I need to go alone, though. Don’t tell the others. You read the address, I know you have it memorized. Let me do this on my own, please,” Steve said.   
“Calm down,” Andrea said waving her hand. “After today, you are our best bet. I don’t want to mess it up in any way. Just call if there is trouble.”  
“I will,” Steve said.   
“And don’t toss that hot chocolate, you have time to walk and enjoy it,” Andrea said. Steve nodded as he left the store. Steve wanted to run to the address, but Andrea was right. If Steve did run, he would be waiting anxiously for about an hour and a half. He decided it would be best to walk. In an hour, he would be there, and he would wait for an hour to see Mark again.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28  
Andrea  
Andrea watched as Steve walked away and turned the corner. She made sure he didn’t throw away his hot chocolate as he walked, she wasn’t going to let him hear the end of it if he threw away one of the few things that helped him calm down. She looked down at her own drink and took another sip. She figured she should head back to the hospital and see how everyone was doing. Andrea walked down the street in the direction she guessed both Steve and she came from. Andrea was not the best with directions and hoped she was walking the right way. She knew it was a straight walk to the hospital and figured if she didn’t see it in about ten minutes then she would walk back to the coffee shop and try again. She needed the time to walk herself.   
Andrea never really had a moment to think about everything that happened. She lost her best friend. He best friend kicked her butt along with Natasha, Clint, and Tony. Andrea wasn’t even here when Mark began to lose his memories. She only made it back in time to see he was gone. The empty hospital room. The last time she saw him in person was at her wedding, she should have known something was wrong when he sent those text messages while she was on her honeymoon. Andrea threw her hot chocolate away as she passed a trash can. She felt like if she drank anymore, she might throw up from all the emotions she felt at the moment.   
Andrea looked up to see the hospital ahead, she was happy to at least be walking in the right direction. She felt this walk was needed. She focused on managing Steve through this whole thing she never really realized how she felt during it. Tony tried to help her at times, but Steve was always much worse off. Tony and Andrea would switch off trying to break through to Steve and never really focusing on her own feelings about it all.   
Andrea stopped in front of the hospital doors. She held her arms near her stomach, almost hugging herself. She did not know what to expect as she thought about everything. She walked into the hospital.   
Andrea walked over to the elevator and stood there for a moment. She didn’t hit the button, only stood there. She thought of the possibility of losing Mark. Andrea was happy she found Tony, and they now started a life together, but she never thought of the idea of losing Mark. Sure, Mark had many brushes with death in the past. This time, though, this time, was different. Mark was very much alive but had no memory of any of them. Andrea didn’t know what this would mean for Mark.   
“Are you alright?” Andrea heard as she looked over to her side. Andrea saw an elderly nurse standing there smiling at her.   
“Oh, um, fine. I’m fine,” Andrea said surprised someone was here talking to her.   
“You look ill dear. Are you sure you are feeling okay?” the nurse asked putting her hand on Andrea’s back.   
“I’m okay. I don’t think my friend will be okay,” Andrea said as she felt tears well up in her eyes.   
“Oh,” The elderly nurse said as she came in close for a hug. “I understand. Is this person a close friend?”   
Andrea leaned into the hug. It was nice to have someone to lean on for once. She would normally have Mark for that, but right now she didn’t. “He is my best friend, and I might lose him,” Andrea said.   
“I’m sorry my dear,” The elderly nurse said. “I see this a lot here. It is never easy, especially for someone as young as you. I hope he makes it through.”   
Andrea paused for a second and realized this woman was comforting her but not fully understanding her. Mark wasn’t dying, and in all fairness to this old biddy, Mark was about twice her age and not a young person. Andrea pulled from the hug and smiled at the nurse.   
“Thanks,” Andrea said as she hit the button to wait for the elevator. The elderly nurse grabbed her hand, “I wish your best friend luck during his stay here.” And the nurse walked away. Andrea laughed to herself, the old biddy was definitely not talking about the same thing as she was. The elevator opened, and Andrea stepped inside. She hit the button for the lower levels and watched the nurse walking away as the doors closed. Andrea still smiled. Although the old biddy didn’t understand her situation, it was the first person in some time Andrea could lean on for support. She had Tony, who was battered and bruised right now. He helped when he could, between helping Steve out of tantrums which came from his depression. Andrea sighed as she leaned against the elevator wall. She looked up at the ceiling and wondered what was going to happen between Mark and Steve. Maybe Andrea should have gone with Steve. She didn’t know what to expect from Mark right now. Before today, they spent the week convincing Steve Mark didn’t join Hydra. And earlier today they get a call from Tony saying he found Mark, and then they realize Mark was working to steal information from Stark Industries. Andrea paused her thoughts for a moment. She realized more and more she didn’t know Mark as she thought she did. She was by his side on missions as assassins for five years. She knew this was something he did in the past. Mark was operating on his assassin skills, and no one should have known him better than her, but… Steve did.   
The doors opened, and Andrea slowly stepped out of the elevator. Andrea looked down the hall and noticed both Clint and Natasha were not in the waiting area. Andrea slowly walked down the hallway until she got to Tony’s room. Tony lied there brooding over the fact he needed to be in a hospital. Andrea smiled at the sight of him. She found it funny, a full grown man was upset they kept him in the hospital. Sometimes Tony really did act like a child. It was nice that without even knowing it, Tony always made Andrea smiled.   
Tony looked over at Andrea, “Hey, are you alright?”  
Andrea leaned her head against the door frame, “Yeah why?”  
Tony raised an eyebrow, “Because you either have been crying or a cat walked by.”  
Andrea wiped at her eyes and felt tears still on her cheek. “That obvious huh?” She asked.   
“Well, your eyes are red. So it is either crying, or your allergies are really going crazy,” Tony said moving over on the bed to one side. Andrea slowly walked over to the bed and climbed in next to Tony. Tony wrapped his arm around Andrea as she lied there. Andrea just turned toward Tony and buried her face in his chest.   
“Wanna talk about it?” Tony asked.   
Andrea just lied there silent. She did not know if she wanted to talk about it or not. She just knew right now she felt comfortable and safe. The old biddy helped her earlier which was nice, and right now she just wanted to just stay there.   
“You know, you have been pretty amazing since we got back from our honeymoon,” Tony said. Andrea looked up at Tony. She did not say a word, but this was her way to show she was listening to his words.   
“You have been through a lot and helped Steve through it as well. I can’t thank you enough for helping my best friend. But you know something?” Tony asked. Andrea just blinked, somehow Tony knew this was her way of asking for more information.   
“Woman, you got to let yourself get it all out as well,” Tony said.   
“Woman?!” Andrea said picking her head up as Tony said it. Tony leaned back from her as Andrea yelled out the word. Tony looked scared but quickly switched to a smile. “Mrs. Stark?” Tony asked.   
“You’re an idiot sometimes,” Andrea said putting her head down back on Tony’s chest.   
“But I am your idiot,” Tony said hugging Andrea tightly. “And it is your turn to be taken care of, so just let it happen. Steve is out of his funk, and now we can let you be sad for a moment about everything.”  
Andrea took Tony’s words to heart, and she felt more tears come out. She wiped her face against Tony’s chest to try and cover them up. Andrea could now let herself be sad and not be there for another.   
“Tony?” Andrea asked.   
“Yeah?” Tony replied.   
“Do you think we will get him back? Do you think Steve and Mark will be okay? Would any of this have happened if we didn’t go on our honeymoon?” Andrea asked her many questions as her anxiety increased.   
“Stop,” Tony said as he rested his forehead on Andrea’s forehead. “You are not allowed to blame yourself for any of this. It would have happened with us here or not.”  
Andrea just nodded. She knew Tony wouldn’t let her blame herself, and she needed to hear it from him.   
“As for those two, I mean we made it out okay. I think they will as well. Steve is already doing better after today. If Tony Stark with four broken ribs can be there for you to lean on, then I think they will be alright. Where is the big oaf anyway?” Tony asked.   
Andrea paused for a moment wondering if she should tell Tony the truth or not. She needed to decide quickly before Tony realized something was up.  
“Andrea? Where is Steve?” Tony asked. Too late, Tony knew something was up. Andre turned and smiled at Tony. Tony raised an eyebrow. Andrea tried to play the cute card, which normally worked for her to get out of telling Tony something he didn’t need to know. This time, it didn’t work. Andrea let out a sigh, “He got a note… from Mark,” Andrea said.   
Tony sat up on the bed, “What?”  
“Yeah, yeah, don’t get too excited. He needed to go alone. Mark left him a note in his jacket. It was to meet him alone at 7 pm. Steve is the only person who can talk to him right now, and we can’t interfere. He made progress today, maybe he can make more,” Andrea said. Tony lied back down on the bed.   
“And you don’t think it is a trap?” Tony asked.   
Andrea shook her head,”The place he got the note…there is no way Hydra could have known what that place meant to him and Mark. Just trust me on this one.”  
Tony wrapped his arm around Andrea and pulled her in close. “I always do,” Tony said. Andrea closed her eyes and let out a satisfying sigh to Tony’s words.   
“Aw well look at the two newlyweds,” Clint said from the hospital room door. The pitcher full of water went flying and hit Clint right in the face knocking him to the ground.   
“You know how she feels about people ruining snuggly moments,” Natasha said stepping over Clint to enter the room. “How are you feeling?” Natasha asked.   
“Better,” Tony answered.  
“Not you,” Natasha snapped at Tony. Natasha walked over to Andrea and sat next to her. “How are you feeling?”  
“Better,” Andrea answered.   
“Good,” Natasha said smiling back at Andrea. “We will get him back. You just take the time you need now. Tony is right, you did take on a lot for Steve. It’s your turn to let it out now.”  
“Were you listening in on our conversation?” Tony asked.   
“The door is wide open, if you wanted privacy, you should have closed it,” Clint answered from the floor rubbing his head where the pitcher hit him.   
“It’s fine,” Andrea said.   
Tony ran his hand through Andrea’s hair, “Why don’t you get some rest now. You deserve it after the past few week. I will be here when you wake up.”  
Andrea looked at Tony then at Natasha. Both smiled at her.   
“I know it sucks losing him, but we will get him back,” Natasha said. Andrea just nodded and rested her head on Tony. Slowly she let her eyes close, and she soon found herself asleep.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29  
Mark  
Mark sat there on the second to last floor of the parking garage. He waited in the corner listening for footsteps. It was almost 7 pm, and he was waiting for Steve Rogers to arrive. Mark let out a sigh, “What am I doing?” He didn’t know what came over him when he saw Steve enter the coffee shop. Twice in one day, of course, it would be his luck to run into Steve. He thought quickly and wrote a note on a piece of paper he swiped from the counter. The only place Mark could think of to meet was the parking garage he passed by many times on his walks. No one ever parked here, probably because the neighborhood was unsafe. Mark figured it was the best place to meet Steve, but what was he doing? This is the man who was hunting him down a few weeks ago, who let him go earlier today, and might be the only connection Mark had to Bucky and his memories. Mark needed answers, and he wanted to know the answer to the question which came up the first moment he ran into Steve, why can’t he hurt Steve?  
Mark never hesitated to fight against anyone before, but when he saw Steve or Captain America, every fiber of his being held him back. He couldn’t understand it, but he needed to know why. Mark turned his head when he heard footsteps. Steve was on the floor below and walking up. Mark was surprised how he knew it was Steve, somehow he recognized Steve’s footsteps. Mark silently stood up and formed a dagger in his hand. He was going to prove he could hurt Steve Rogers, and then he would get some answers out of him.   
Mark slowly crept against the wall as he got closer to where Steve was walking. Mark took cover behind the wall and looked around the corner. There he saw him. Steve Rogers was looking around as he walked up the garage. He looked anxious and nervous. Mark hoped he didn’t bring any of the Avengers along. It would be tough to explain why he fought The Avengers again if Madame Hydra found out. Mark crouched down and readied himself for Steve to get closer. Mark was going to hit his target this time.   
“Hello?” Steve said as he walked closer. Steve continued to look around as he searched for Mark. Mark was ready and just needed Steve to get a few steps closer. Steve looked back as he walked forward, Mark knew this was his time to strike.   
Mark jumped out of his spot and threw his dagger. Steve turned to look at Mark and help up his arms to shield himself. Mark ran forward to attack. The dagger went wide, and Mark found himself stopped a few feet short of Steve just standing there with his fist up, unable to move. “Damn,” Mark said.   
Steve lowered his arms and saw Mark pacing back and forth in front of him. Steve just followed Mark’s as he went from left to right. “Why?!” Mark shouted.   
Steve took a half step back as Mark shouted. He gained his footing, “Why what?”   
“Why can’t I,” Mark said taking a step forward getting close to Steve holding his fist up. This time, Steve didn’t raise his arms to block. “Damn,” Mark said taking a step back.   
“This is not what I expected when I came here,” Steve said.   
“And what did you expect?” Mark asked. Steve looked at Mark and smiled. “I… um…I am not sure really,” Steve scratched the back of his head as he answered. Mark noticed Steve looking away and turning red.   
“Are you blushing?” Mark asked. Steve looked at Mark and Mark could see the red on Steve’s face get darker. “This is even more confusing than ever. All I was hoping for were answers, and all I could do is confirm what I knew I couldn’t do.”  
“What can’t you do?” Steve asked. Mark glared at Steve. “Don’t act like you haven’t noticed. For some reason, I can’t hurt you. One of the people hunting me down, and I can’t even land a punch.”  
“Oh,” Steve said shuffling from one foot to the other. “Do you want to hurt me?” Steve asked.   
Mark opened his mouth to answer and found himself stopped. Right now Mark did not know if he wanted to hurt Steve Rogers. His body wouldn’t allow him to. So did he? “I…don’t think I do,” Mark said. Steve breathed a sigh of relief at that answer.   
“I am glad to hear that,” Steve said.   
“Why wouldn’t you be happy knowing I can’t or won’t hurt you? You saw what I did to your other teammates. You wouldn’t be hard to take down either.”   
“I know,” Steve said taking a step forward. “You easily beat me in sparring matches before, fighting you for real would be tough.”  
“Before?” Mark asked. Steve looked away not sure how to answer the question.   
“Yeah, before?” Steve said. “You said you were here to listen to me, did you mean it?”   
Mak nodded to answer Steve’s question. “I have a few questions for you, and you said earlier you would tell me some answers, but I wouldn’t believe you. I think knowing my body and mind is secretly telling me not to hurt you warrants a chance to hear you out.”  
“And you are sure you don’t want to hurt me?” Steve asked again.   
Mark laughed, “Yes, even if I wanted to, I can’t. The only answer left is I don’t want to hurt you. Guess it makes me a bad enemy.” Mark looked up and saw Steve smiling at him. Mark was confused for a moment as to why Steve was staring at him that way, but it felt…comforting. “You okay?” Mark asked.   
Steve shook his head, “Yeah sorry. It just has been a while.”  
“A while for what?” Mark asked.   
“Since I heard you laugh or saw your smile. I missed it,” Steve said.   
Mark gave a strange look to Steve, “Okay, this just leads to more questions for me.”  
Steve laughed, “Alright how about we make a deal. We trade questions one at a time. We answer as honestly as we can and that way we can see what we clear up. How does that sound?”   
Mark thought for a moment. Steve said to answer as honestly as they could, he might have the advantage here. Steve’s questions might be something he could answer if he had his memory. If he says he can’t remember, that is an honest answer. Mark could leave with more answers than Steve would, but he would need to ask the big questions first before Steve caught onto his plan. “Fine, that sounds fair,” Mark said.   
Steve looked around for a moment, “Should we stand here or go somewhere else to sit?” Steve asked. Mark just smiled and sat down right on the spot. “You wanna sit, then let’s sit,” Mark said.   
Steve smiled and sat down, “I forgot how stubborn you can sometimes be.”  
Mark glared at Steve with a smile, it didn’t seem to faze Steve, it actually made him smile bigger. “So who goes first?” Mark asked.   
“Well you set up the meeting, I guess you should go first,” Steve said. Mark thought for a long moment, he needed to get all the information from Steve he couldn’t get from Bucky. Which led to the first question. “What’s your history with James Barnes?” Mark asked.   
Steve froze at the question. Mark knew he needed to start off with something big. Steve thought for a long while before answering. “Bucky and I grew up in Brooklyn, New York. We knew each other ever since we were teenagers. He was my best friend back then. Bucky and I dreamed of joining the military, but I was always sick and had too many medical complications. I was too much of a risk. Bucky joined but I couldn’t until the Super Soldier project. They injected me with a serum, and I became Captain America. All so I could join the military. Because of that, I was able to fight by Bucky’s side against Hydra. One mission Bucky got blasted into an ice mountain, we searched but couldn’t find his body. It wasn’t until I was unfrozen from a block of ice that I later found him, as an agent of Hydra. The Avengers fought against him, but soon we were able to break him from his brainwashing. He joined up with us, then…” Steve stopped for a moment.   
“Come on, you said we would answer honestly,” Mark said.   
Steve let out a sigh, “Then Bucky and I dated. It sort of happened, he was my best friend, and we were together for years. It wasn’t the best relationship, we fought all the time.More, he fought with me. It took a while, but we finally broke up, and he went against the Avengers and hurt someone very close to me. He was locked up until recently when someone broke him out. It happened maybe a few months back. Now he is with Hydra again.” Steve finished his answer and looked away. Mark wasn’t sure if it was because it was tough to say the history or the fact Mark’s jaw was still dropped over the news of Bucky and Steve being a couple in the past. Bucky didn’t remember anything. Was he lying? He could have been if it was true he was abusive to Steve. Or did he truly not remember?  
“Why did you guys break up?” Mark asked. Steve smiled whenMark asked the question.   
“Not fair, I got my turn,” Steve said. Mark rolled his eyes, “Sorry, go ahead and ask your question.” Mark was confident Steve would ask something he could not remember.   
“You said since you first went against me you couldn’t hurt me. What stops you from hurting me?” Steve asked.   
“Uh…” Mark said at first. Mark then facepalmed at the realization Steve did not want to know about his past. Steve was asking questions he could answer, well sort of.   
“I don’t really know how to explain it, but I will try,” Mark said, and Steve just nodded. “Since I first went up against you, I was able to throw punches, but I threw the ones I knew you could dodge. I wanted to fight you in my mind, but something,” Mark looked at his hands as he spoke, “stopped me. It was like something deep down held back my punches or threw them to the side. I felt like I should never hurt you. It was strange to me, someone actively trying to attack me and I think I shouldn’t hurt him. It’s weird I know, but I got nothing else.”  
Steve took in the answer and just smiled. It was like he was hoping for that answer. “Your turn,” Steve said leaning forward on his elbows.  
“I feel you are mocking me in a way,” Mark said.   
“No, just was listening to your answer. Ask away,” Steve said.   
Mark thought for a moment. He did not really have any other leads to go on for his memory, his best bet was to go on with Bucky and Steve. “Was it just the fighting that broke you and Bucky up?” Mark asked.   
Steve sat up at the question. Mark could see the sadness in Steve’s eyes before he answered. “Bucky was not the best to me. He would always belittle me and make me feel worse about myself. I felt trapped in the relationship. Someone showed me my true value, not as Captain America, but as Steve Rogers.” Steve paused for a moment as he looked down before continuing. “That someone I hold close to my heart. He showed me I shouldn’t stay with Bucky. I struggled and made mistakes by going back to Bucky. I regret that decision to this day, I hurt the person trying to help me. But in the end, Bucky and I ended our relationship, and someone else entered my life.” Steve was looking up at Mark smiling.   
“Who?” Mark asked. Mark didn’t realize how invested he was getting into this story.   
“You get one question at a time remember,” Steve said. Mark paused for a moment and realized, Steve could be baiting him with these stories. Steve answered the question, but just enough to need a follow-up question. Mark was feeling the tables turn on him.   
“Go ahead,” Mark said.   
“Why did you leave the USB drive and glasses at Stark Industries? You could have gotten away with your prize,” Steve asked.   
Mark realized Steve was very thoughtful with his questions. He didn’t know it would be this difficult to play this game. “I… don't really know,” Mark said.   
“Come on, tell the truth,” Steve said.  
Mark thought for a moment. “I can’t really answer it. I kind of just did it. If I really think about it. I think you were the reason I left them there. If you weren’t there to stop me and speak to me, I would have gotten away with the data.” Mark answered the question then held his hand to his head.   
“You okay?” Steve asked  
Mark looked up and smiled, “Only one question at a time remember.”   
Steve gave a sarcastic face in response and reached over to hold his hand to Mark’s head. “You don’t have a fever,” Steve said. Steve leaned back, and Mark remained frozen just looking at Steve. “Um…okay…” Mark said.   
Steve turned red, “Sorry, force of habit. I didn’t mean to just do that without asking.”  
“It’s alright. And to answer the question. My head seems to hurt when I start to think and dig up memories. It did it earlier today when I was talking to Bucky,” Mark said.   
“Is it bad?” Steve asked.   
“It will pass, but that is three questions. So I get to ask three questions as well,” Mark said smiling.   
“Oh come on,” Steve said looking at Mark. Mark laughed, but he couldn’t really understand why he found himself laughing and enjoying this game. “Fair is fair,” Mark said.   
“Fine,” Steve agreed giving Mark a stern look. For some reason, Mark found joy in seeing Steve act angry…strange Mark knew Steve was only acting like he was mad.   
Mark thought he should try to ask a really big question right now. “How about one question to make up for three?” Mark asked.   
“I can agree to that,” Steve said. Mark had looked into Steve’s eyes before he asked the question, “Who am I to you?”   
Mark expected Steve to freeze up or to panic, but he just smiled. Steve reached over and grabbed Mark’s hand. Mark watched Steve’s hand pick up his and hold it. Steve felt warm, he felt safe. He felt…different than other people. Mark looked back at Steve.   
“You are someone very important to me. I don’t know if you realize right now how important you are. You have been gone for weeks. I have been losing my mind not knowing if you are okay or safe. When we found you on the rooftop of S.H.I.E.L.D., I thought you were back with us for good. I had to make the mistake of leading a capture mission. I made the call to shot down that helicopter near the hospital that made you look at me in a way you never had in the past. I hated knowing how you thought of me. I needed to learn from my mistakes to get you back. I would do anything to have you back,” Steve said.   
“And that is why you said I wouldn’t believe your answer before, at Stark Industries?” Mark asked. Steve nodded. Mark’s hand was still being held by Steve’s hand. Mark could feel his pulse increase, and he wasn’t really sure what was going on here.   
“So that two questions, can I ask one big one?” Steve asked.   
“Yeah, you can,” Mark said without thinking.   
“You said something holds you back from hitting me. What does it tell you to do instead?” Steve asked.   
Mark felt his body trying to make a movement, he fought against it. Mark pulled his hand back, “Nothing. It tells me to do nothing.” Mark got up as soon as he answered the question. Steve got up as well.   
“We said we would tell each other the whole truth,” Steve said as he followed Mark.   
“I did,” Mark lied. He couldn’t answer this question. Do what he felt like doing to the Bucky’s ex-boyfriend. Bucky was the man who he trusted and helped him.   
“You’re lying,” Steve said still following Mark. Mark turned around and looked at Steve with anger in his eyes. “And how would you know?” Mark asked, really wondering how Steve would know this.   
Steve paused for a moment. He thought of the answer then he smiled, “You need to answer your question honestly first, then I will answer mine.”  
“I told you, I did,” Mark said beginning to shout at Steve.   
“Come on, you honestly telling me you felt nothing when I help your hand? When you saw me smile and you smiled back? How you enjoyed making jokes with me minutes ago?There is nothing you want to do when your body said to not hurt me?” Steve said.   
“Well maybe I would know the answer, but I have memory loss if you recall. I just know I don’t want to hurt you. That’s it. My body fights against it, and I am trying to figure out why ” Mark said.   
“Just tell me the truth,” Steve shouted.   
“I did!” Mark yelled back. “Why are we yelling at one another?” Mark asked. As Mark yelled his question, Some hair fell in front of his face. Steve just let out a sigh.   
“Sorry,” Steve said, “I didn’t mean to yell. I just wanted you to feel how I do right now. I didn’t mean to get heated about it.”  
Mark saw how Steve really did feel bad about his anger, Steve couldn’t even look Mark in the eyes right now. “Steve, I don’t know how to explain things right now. I just have feelings, and it's like my body and emotions are trying to communicate things to me, but I can’t remember anything. I have no idea how to even begin to explain it to anyone, let alone you.”  
Steve looked at Mark and noticed Mark’s hair in his face. Steve brushed his hand through Mark’s hair to help fix it. Then Steve saw the shocked look on Mark’s face again. “Sorry,” Steve said, but before he could take his hand back, Mark grabbed it and left it there. “It’s okay,” Mark said with a smile.   
Mark was holding Steve’s hand right now, and he could just feel a warmth from it. It wasn’t just body heat but something else. Mark looked at Steve, who was smiling at Mark.  
“Are you okay?” Mark asked as he slowly brought Steve’s hand down from his head and held onto it.   
Steve squeezed Mark’s hand. Mark felt a pulse of electricity when Steve did this. “Fine, I just can’t believe that happened.”  
Mark tilted his head in confusion. Steve laughed, “Of course you won’t know what I mean.”  
“Tell me,” Mark said.   
“When we first met over a year ago, this sort of thing happened. We were still getting to know one another. We were chatting, and for some reason, I ran my hand through your hair. You froze like you did just a moment ago. I didn’t realize what I did so I apologized. Before I could take my hand away, you grabbed it. You grabbed my hand and said it’s okay.” Steve laughed again when he told the story. Mark just nodded while he listened to Steve.   
“You really don’t remember. Nothing is coming back to you?” Steve asked.   
Mark went from nodding his head to shaking it. Steve just sighed. “This is weird, it’s like you are getting to know me all over again, but I know you, and there is a chemistry here that you don’t remember.”  
“How are you so sure there is chemistry here?” Mark asked.   
“Because you are still holding my hand,” Steve said with a smile. Mark looked down and felt a squeeze from Steve’s hand. “You raise a really good point,” Mark said. Mark slowly let go of Steve’s hand, “I need to go,” Mark said as he began to walk away.   
“Come back to the mansion with me,” Mark paused at Steve’s words. “It might help if you are back home. It could spark some memories or something,” Steve said stepping forward. Steve looked into Mark’s eyes, “And I missed having you home with me. I am sure everyone else will be happy to know you are back.”  
Mark looked into Steve’s eyes but got lost in his own thoughts of what Steve just said, “Home,” Mark said. “I don’t remember having a home…ever. Kind of sad I know but I never thought I could have one,” Mark said. Then Mark thought of Bucky back at Hydra. He couldn’t leave him there alone with Madame Hydra. And he knew Madame Hydra would be suspicious of his whereabouts all this time. He could play off the events of the day being horrible and needing fresh air, he could sell that lie. “I can’t go there, not yet anyway,” Mark said.   
Steve ran his hand through Mark's hair again and hugged him. “I don’t want to lose you again, please,” Steve said holding Mark tight.   
Mark sighed, “I will another time. This seems to be my best lead to get my memories back, but I can’t leave a friend behind back at Hydra. Madame Hydra is a sociopath, and I can’t leave him there with her.”  
“You mean Bucky?” Steve asked. Mark nodded, and he felt a tight hug from Steve before he let Mark go. For some reason, Mark wished Steve didn’t let go. Mark felt safe at that moment.  
“Alright, but promise me we can meet again and talk. I want to answer your questions. I want to ask you more things as well. I want you to come home as soon as you can. You can trust me,” Steve said.   
Mark thought for a long moment, he didn’t want to confirm or deny whether he could trust Steve. Mark’s brain was not cooperating with the rest of him.   
“You do trust me, right?” Steve asked finally.   
“I think even though my brain is doing all it can to keep me safe, the rest of me trusts you. I suck at explaining things today, huh?” Mark said with a smile.   
Steve just smiled back, “No, it made sense.”   
Mark began to walk out of the garage, “Hey Steve,” Mark said as he turned to look at Steve, “I’m sorry.”  
“Sorry for what?” Steve said in a confused tone.   
“I can tell me losing my memory really hurt you. I’m sorry. I don’t want anyone hurt because of me. You look exhausted since the last time I saw you. Get some rest. But I do like the beard,” Mark said as he smiled then turned to continue walking.   
“You always did like my beard,” Steve said from across the garage. Mark looked back to see Steve smiling. Mark then sped up his pace to a run. Mark had run out of the garage and a few blocks before he slowed down to a walking pace. Mark paused and looked back. “Well, now I am at square one again on who I can trust,” Mark said to himself as he turned to walk back to Hydra headquarters. “Which might not be a bad thing,” Mark said as he thought of Steve.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30  
Tony  
Tony was resting in his hospital bed. It was late, and he was working on his phone while Andrea slept next to him. Tony didn’t fight being in the hospital anymore, well ever since Andrea fell asleep. Tony agreed he would comply with the hospital treatment if she could stay on his bed and rest. The doctors preferred having Andrea resting in his bed instead of Tony arguing and fighting the incompetent doctors, or so he called them. Tony did this for her, Andrea needed to rest. She had been helping everyone else through everything, and now it was her time for a break. Tony didn't realize how exhausted Andrea was until now. She slept soundly curled up next to him by his side. Tony wouldn’t allow anyone to disrupt her sleep for any reason. He knew she needed to let out her tears, she needed to let out her frustration, worries, and anxiety. And then Andrea needed to crash and rest. Tony would make sure she would rest right now.   
Tony scrolled through the many emails he got about the project happening at Stark Industries while deleting all the policy and board meeting emails. Tony preferred to focus on the science and work ahead and not all the political aspects of running his company, that’s why he had Pepper to manage that part.  
Tony began to scroll through the emails and thought for a second how horrible it would have been if Mark didn’t leave behind all the plans and data on the projects. Tony’s company would go under in a few months with his competitors bidding the highest prices for his projects. All the work would be lost, and Tony wouldn’t be able to bounce back for a long while. It was years of research and planning on that USB drive. Tony really had Steve to thank for it. Tony underestimated how much Steve could reach Mark at that moment. Mark’s memories were lost, but still, Steve could break through and get him to do the right thing. Maybe there was hope for them. Tony looked over at Andrea sound asleep dreaming, he hoped for her sake there was still a chance to get Mark back. Tony didn’t know what it would do to Andrea if she lost Mark. Steve alone would be a mess, but Tony would need to help both Steve and Andrea through it all. He hoped for both of their sakes things would work out.   
Tony saw a figure at the door from the corner of his eye as he watched Andrea. Tony shined the light from his phone and saw Steve standing there.   
“You’re up late? And not in the Avenger training room for ungodly hours. This must mean good news,” Tony said.   
“Is it alright if I come in? I don’t want to wake Andrea,” Steve said.   
“She has been knocked out while Clint and Natasha were fighting. I doubt our conversation would wake her up. And if it does, and it is good news, she would want to hear it. So sit,” Tony said pointing at the chair.   
Steve walked in and sat in the chair on Tony’s side of the bed. Tony put his phone away so he could listen to Steve and find out how things went. “So?” Tony asked.   
Steve looked to Andrea then to Tony, “So she told you?” Steve asked.   
“Of course, she told me. She told everyone. It was a big deal if you haven’t realized. Mark reached out to meet with you. And seeing that you didn’t come back with any bruises or cuts, I would hope it went well,” Tony said.   
Steve smiled as he leaned back in the chair. “Better than I expected. I really didn’t know what to expect, but it was good. He listened to me.”   
“Are you going to leave it a mystery to me or tell me when he is coming back to the mansion?” Tony asked.   
Steve looked away when Tony asked.   
“He isn’t coming back, is he?” Tony asked.   
“Not yet. It’s not out of the question, though. He couldn’t come tonight. He needed to stay…for Bucky,” Steve answered.   
“Well look at you, Cap. You had one boyfriend lose his memory, and now you are getting him to bring your Ex back. Soon Steve Rogers will be living the high life with two men at his side,” Tony said with a smile.   
“Tony,” Steve said glaring at Tony.   
Tony just smiled back at his joke. “What, it will be good for you Steve. You need more fun in your life. Since Mark has been gone, you have been all on your own.”  
Steve looked down as Tony ended his sentence.   
“Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it. But why is Mark staying for Bucky?” Tony asked.   
Steve looked back up at Tony. “I think to get Bucky out of Hydra. Mark said Madame Hydra is a sociopath, and he is worried about leaving Bucky behind. If he came back tonight, it might put Bucky in danger. Who knows what that woman might be capable of doing?” Steve said.   
Tony reached for his phone and looked into the S.H.I.E.L.D. databases. Jarvis had an automatic “Hack S.H.I.E.L.D.” feature which allowed him to search the files at any moment.   
“I haven’t heard of her before. Do you know anything about her?” Tony asked as he searched. Steve shrugged his shoulders. “I only thought Red Skull lead Hydra. I know there are a few other generals who led the organization as well. This is the first time I heard of a woman leader of Hydra,” Steve explained.   
“It is interesting,” Tony said looking through the files. “She must have another alias. I can’t find anything on her in the files at S.H.I.E.L.D. Did she call herself another name?”   
Steve thought for a moment, “She did. When Andrea and I ran into her at the hospital. She called herself… Viper. I think that’s what it was.”  
“Hmm,” Tony said as he did another search on Viper. “Found something,” Tony said. Steve leaned in to see what Tony found.   
“That looks like her,” Steve said looking at the picture.   
“Interesting,” Tony said. “She was a leader in biochemistry. She almost worked for Stark Industries. She was working on medicine which could save many lives. She had multiple projects working with venom from different animals and studying how the properties of the poisons could be isolated to help kill cancer cells, stimulate brain cells in Alzheimer's patients, and even help people who became paralyzed. She went rogue, though. She went on many talks saying her research should not help defend the weak but weed out those not fit for this world. She must have changed her view when she joined Hydra. She goes on to say we need to purge this world of the people not fit to survive the harshness of mankind. She does seem crazy for sure,” Tony said.   
“And Mark is trying to protect Bucky from that women,” Steve said. Steve sat back, and Tony could tell Steve was worried about Bucky and Mark.   
“Come on now, you know Mark will be fine. He is the guy who took down Red Skull. He came back from the dead before and even brought you back from death. He will be fine. He probably already knows some of the information we do,” Tony said.   
“What do you think he figured out?” Steve asked.   
“Well, you said he knows she is crazy and that he needs to get Bucky out. He probably will stay focused on how she spreads her poison. Knowing him, he will get a sample or something, which will put us at an advantage if we can get an antidote from it. If he is really listening to you, then maybe we can take Hydra down from the inside,” Tony explained.   
“I think you are getting ahead of yourself Tony,” Steve said. “I don’t even know if he trusts me yet. This is something that will take time, and I don’t know if we will make it out the other side. Hydra planned this well.”  
“Well let’s focus on where we are at right now. You said he would come to the mansion. When will you plan to see him again?” Tony asked.   
Steve’s eyes went wide, and then he hit his palm to his face.   
“I guess that means you didn’t plan it out then. You just were caught up in making out with him and rekindling things to not plan things out, right?” Tony asked.   
“We didn’t make out, Tony,” Steve said louder than he intended. Steve looked at Andrea, who was still asleep. “We didn’t do any of that.”  
“Shame,” Tony said. “I was hoping you got lucky tonight so you would be back to your old self for a little while.”  
“Tony,” Steve said.   
“You know it’s true. You might be able to hold this together after seeing him for a few hours. But when you go to bed tonight, you’re going to wake up as depressed Steve. We need our leader back to build a plan and get them both back,” Tony said firmly.   
Steve looked down at the floor, “I know.” Then Steve looked over to Andrea and then at Tony. “I haven’t been all there at all. I put you and Andrea through a lot the past few weeks. Don’t think I haven’t noticed. You two took on a lot of my pain, and I see it wore Andrea out. Sorry for that.”  
Tony looked over to Andrea and ran his hand through her hair. Andrea took a deep breath and adjusted to get comfortable. “It’s alright. I know it has been rough on you. Andrea and I just wanted you guys to be happy. I wanted you to have the relationship you deserved. She took most of it, though. She lost her best friend and helped you manage. I don’t really know how she stayed so strong through it all.”  
“You’re lucky to have her Tony,” Steve said.   
“I know. Who knew she would be able to put up with me, huh?” Tony said turning to look at Steve. “You know you are lucky to find Mark. He got through to you, to the true Steve Rogers. He got you out of that horrible relationship with Bucky while he was controlled by Hydra. I think we both are lucky they joined the Avengers.”  
“Is Tony Stark getting sentimental and humble now?” Steve asked.   
“You repeat this to anyone, and I will deny it and release all the blackmailing videos Mark sent to me over the years,” Tony said.   
“I know Mark never did any of that,” Steve said.   
Tony glared at Steve, “I need to get him back for revealing my secret.”  
Tony and Steve looked as Andrea slowly rose from her position and got comfortable next to Tony, “So when will you see him again?” Andrea asked.   
“Were you awake the whole time?” Tony asked.   
“Maybe,” Andrea said with a smile. “And you are lucky to have me for putting up with you.”  
“Good thing I didn’t say anything I would regret,” Tony said. Andrea lightly slapped his chest for his comment. Steve laughed.   
“So?” Andrea asked Steve.   
Steve thought for a long moment, “I don’t know.”  
“Well you need to come up with a plan,” Andrea said.   
“How did you run into him this time?” Tony asked.   
“He saw us at the coffee shop Mark took me to when we walked to the grocery store the first time. I didn’t expect him to be there,” Steve said.   
“Well,” Tony said, “your options are to either stake out the coffee shop or go to where you met him tonight. From your look before, he has no way of contacting you.”  
“No, he doesn’t. I don’t know what to do,” Steve said.   
Andrea stretched out over Tony. “He will find you. You underestimate Mark. He will find a way to get to you. Or you can stake out those places but trust me, when the time is right he will get to you.”  
Tony looked at Andrea as she stretched over him, “Just ignoring the fact I have four broken ribs,” Tony said.   
“You want me to move?” Andrea asked. Tony wrapped his arm around Andrea and pulled her in tight.   
“Never,” Tony said.   
Steve let out a sigh, “I will leave you two be. I think I might stake out the places just to make sure. He doesn’t have a way to find me, and I want to make sure he has a chance to find me when he is ready.”  
“He will,” Andrea said with a smile. Steve smiled at Andrea, “Thanks…for everything.” Steve walked out of the room and left Andrea and Tony by themselves.   
“He is doing better,” Andrea said.   
“A lot better,” Tony said. Tony hugged Andrea tighter. “And how are you doing?”   
“I think I am better, I needed today,” Andrea said.   
“I am glad my Andrea is back to normal,” Tony said as he leaned in and kissed Andrea. Andre leaned in during the kiss.   
“Taking charge now? This is a change,” Tony said.   
“Well, you have four broken ribs, remember?” Andrea said with a smile.   
“Nothing stops Tony Stark,” Tony said as he grabbed Andrea and pulled her on top of him. “Let’s continue what we were doing over our honeymoon.”  
“Only if you can handle it,” Andrea said.   
“We will find out,” Tony said pulling Andrea in for a kiss.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31  
Steve  
Steve didn’t let himself stay in his room for hours at a time anymore. He needed to pull himself together and figure out how he could get in touch with Mark again. Tony was happy about Steve’s new attitude, mainly because he got Andrea back to himself. Now, Tony and Andrea were spending hours at a time in their room. Steve wanted to focus on finding Mark. Seeing and talking to Mark made Steve excited again. He wanted to see him soon. Tony was right, the time was getting shorter for them to get Mark on their side. Mark would know how to take down Hydra and how to save Bucky. Steve needed to make sure Mark was safe, and he needed to get him back. Steve just needed to figure out how.   
Steve needed a plan on how to find Mark. He knew Andrea was right, Mark would find him when the time was right. Steve couldn’t manage to wait long. Steve already decided he would go to the coffee shop again and see if he could find Mark. Steve went to the coffee shop for the first day and waited all day around the shop. He didn’t think he would find Mark the first time, but he needed to keep trying. Steve would go back to the coffee shop and wait. He brought his art with him some days, other days he brought a book to read. He waited there. Steve would buy a tea to drink while he waited each day. Each time he would see someone walk in he would hope it would be Mark. But each time Steve looked, he was disappointed. He didn’t know what else to do. Hydra went quiet, and no other leads were made to finding Mark. It was a week now, and nothing surfaced to give Steve a clue.   
Steve woke up earlier in the day. He got dressed and grabbed his sketchbook. Steve was on his way down the stairs when he heard, “Going to try again today?”  
Steve turned to see Natasha at the top of the steps. “Yes, I am. Don’t try and convince me not to try,” Steve said.   
Natasha smiled, “I was just going to wish you good luck. I know it is the only lead we have now to find him.”  
Steve paused for a moment and smiled, “Thanks.” Steve turned back around and walked out of the door. Steve felt better knowing his friends supported his decision on this. He didn’t care how crazy he looked, he was going to do this as long as it took to find Mark.   
Steve got to the coffee shop and stood in line. He was surprised the shop was a little busier today than it had been the other days. Steve waited patiently in line and noticed the line growing behind him. Steve didn’t know what he would get today. He knew he wanted tea but it was a warm day, and not sure if he should try something different.   
Steve noticed the line growing behind him. He looked through the line to see maybe, just maybe, Mark would be in it. Steve sighed when he realized the line was full of people he had seen throughout the week. Steve walked up to the counter when it was his turn. He decided on an iced green tea. He paid for his tea and walked over to the table he always sat at and took his place. The table had the best view of the door while still allowing Steve to scope out the whole coffee shop. Steve always waited for the morning rush to finish before he began to do what another task he brought with him. It was around ten that the rush began to slow down. Steve sighed again and opened his sketchbook. Steve pulled out a pencil from his pocket and began to draw. Steve could only focus on one subject for a long while, which was Mark. Steve began to work on a sketch he started a few days ago. Steve began to both love and hate drawing his memories with Mark. Steve loved remembering all the good times they shared together, but it was a constant reminder of what he didn’t have right now. Steve tried to draw something different this time.   
Steve remembered Tony telling him how Mark looked different when he broke into Stark Industries. Mark wore glasses, but Tony could still recognize him. Steve saw the glasses Mark left behind but wondered how they would look on Mark. Steve looked down at the sketch and noticed all the eraser marks on it from the multiple times he tried to draw the glasses. Steve couldn’t help it. He never saw Mark with them on, so he didn’t know how Mark would look with glasses. Steve was curious as to how Mark would look in them. This kept Steve’s mind away from the reality of things. He couldn’t stop thinking about Mark, but focusing on something like the glasses helped him.   
Throughout the day, Steve would look up when he heard the door opening. He would hope, with each time, that Mark walked through the door. Each time, Steve was faced with disappointment. Steve did not know how much longer he could handle this. He just wanted Mark to show up here. When would it happen? Steve reached into his pocket and felt the velvet of the box he always carried with him. It was the only thing lately which could ground him. Feeling the ring helped Steve remember the conversation with Mark. Steve didn’t know why he didn’t just kiss Mark there in the parking garage. Steve worried what it would do if he did, though. Would Mark feel anything for him? Or would Mark shove him away and never want to to be with Steve ever again? Steve had too many fears about this whole thing. The main part which stood out to Steve was the night out with Natasha and Clint. Mark didn’t remember Steve, and he said Steve was completely different from his type. Steve didn’t know what Mark meant by this. Natasha wouldn’t tell Steve anything about it, and Steve worried about asking Andrea. Not that Andrea wouldn’t tell Steve, she might yell at him for asking stupid questions and focus on what they had and try to build on that. Also, Steve thought Andrea might smack him for asking a dumb question.   
Steve closed his sketchbook and stood up. The day wasn’t done, but Steve couldn’t wait here much longer today. It was tough to always have his hopes go up and then be shattered when it was a random person walking in. Steve drank the rest of his tea and threw the cup away. Steve opened the door to the shop and looked back into the shop. He couldn’t help but look around one more time. Steve let out a sigh as he walked out of the coffee shop.   
Steve walked back to the mansion. On the walk, he couldn’t help but wish Mark was walking beside him. Steve missed the days he walked with Mark through the city. Steve missed living in the apartment in Brooklyn with Mark. Steve never felt closer to anyone else until he met Mark. Days he and Mark would just be with one another and be completely happy throughout the day doing nothing or just nonsense like walking in the city. Steve realized he grew so much in their relationship, and Steve wondered if there would be any more of those days. Steve reached into his pocket again and held the velvet box as he walked.   
Steve arrived at the mansion. Steve looked around as he walked in and went up the stairs. No one looked to be in the mansion when Steve entered. Steve pulled out his phone and noticed he had a message. He read the message from Tony explaining he was taking Andrea on a surprise dinner to cheer her up and as a second honeymoon later in the night. Steve just sighed and walked to the third floor. He didn’t hear Natasha or Clint in the building, but he could guess they were in one of their bedrooms having some fun. He reached the training room and walked over to the punching bag. Steve put his sketchbook down near him and walked over to the punching bag. Steve began to punch the bag. Steve felt pent-up anger with each punch. Steve felt his anger going up more and more with each punch. Steve didn’t know what he was angry at while he punched but he felt frustrated at the fact he couldn’t find Mark. Steve thought he was angry at Hydra for all of this or at Bucky for taking Mark’s memories. Steve kept punching the bag for about an hour until it finally broke, slamming against the wall. Steve finally realized, he was mad at himself. Once again, he couldn’t protect Mark. He couldn’t protect Mark from Hydra, from Bucky, from anything. How could Steve save him now?   
Steve wiped the sweat from his forehead. He picked up the sketchbook and walked out of the training room. Steve felt bad for leaving the broken punching bag, but everyone was used to it at this point. Steve walked down the stairs and stopped when he got to the second floor. Steve looked down the opposite hallway. He didn’t see the lights on in Clint’s or Natasha’s room, now Steve was convinced they were having their own kind of fun. Steve turned to walk the opposite direction to his room. He paused for a moment. The light was on in his room. Steve slowly walked down the hallway and peeked into his room. Steve saw no one in his room. He was curious as to why the light was left on. Steve walked into the room and grabbed a towel from the closet near the bathroom. Steve walked over and threw his sketchbook on the bed. Steve heard a crumple of paper when the sketchbook landed. At first, Steve thought the book opened, and the pages got ruined. Instead, Steve saw a note on his bed. The note only had his name on it. Steve ran and picked up the note, unfolding it, then read it.   
“So instead of waiting for me to reach out to you, you decide to wait at the coffee shop all week. I get the hint, I will meet you tonight. You should try and not be so obvious about trying to find me. I will see you tonight at eight. I will find you.”  
Steve stared at the note for a minute realizing it was from Mark. Steve glanced at the clock, it was seven thirty already. Steve looked at himself drenched in sweat from training. He wondered how long the note had been there. Steve grabbed the towel and ran into the shower. Steve quickly showered. Steve stepped out of the shower and looked at the clock again. He had ten minutes to get ready. Steve grabbed a change of clothes and put them on. He went to the bathroom and fixed his hair the way he always did. Steve paused in the mirror and felt his nerves. He felt like he was getting ready for the first date with Mark. He was hoping Mark would be impressed with how he looked, even though Mark said he didn’t like men in the military or blondes. Steve looked in the mirror and was about to shave his stubble, but then put the razor down. It was something Mark liked, so Steve decided to keep it. Steve left the bathroom and looked at the clock, two minutes until eight. Steve sat on the bed and waited for the minutes to pass. Steve looked at the note again and read it. He shouldn’t have been so obvious by going to the same coffee shop every day for a week. Steve wondered how Mark knew he was there so many days in a row. Maybe Mark was watching out for him. Steve smiled at the thought. He looked over at the clock, it read eight o’clock. Steve stood up and looked around. Mark said he would find him, but Steve didn’t know how it would happen. Steve jumped as he heard a tapping at the window. Steve walked over to the window and opened it.   
“You could have told me you were going through the window…” Steve felt a kick in the stomach and flew back crashing into the wall. Steve grabbed his stomach and looked at the window seeing Winter Soldier step through it.   
“Bucky?” Steve asked looking up at him.   
“You are too easy to trick Captain,” Bucky said coming in for a punch. Steve caught the punch and threw Bucky to the side. Steve got up and went to the door. Steve ran down the hallway, and Bucky exited the room pulling out a gun. Steve ducked to dodge the shot. Steve jumped the railing to land on the first floor. Steve ran for the front door. Bucky shot at Steve and hit him in the leg as he crashed through the front door.   
Steve rolled on the ground and grabbed his leg. He was bleeding heavily from the shot. Steve tried to get up, but he couldn’t put any weight on his leg. Steve saw Bucky walking over toward him. Steve just stared at Bucky.   
“Are you going to kill me here and now?” Steve asked. Steve couldn’t help but think of Mark at this moment. He wishes he could see him one more time. He wanted to save Mark and get him back home. But Bucky was here pointing a gun at Steve.   
“I should kill you here, but that would be too easy. I was told you are supposed to suffer,” Bucky said to Steve.   
“Suffer?” Steve asked.   
“Of course,” Bucky said as he kicked Steve right where he was shot. Steve screamed in pain as he grabbed his leg.   
“You think we didn’t plan this? You are always supposed to be the one to suffer. We could never harm you physically as Captain America, but as Steve Rogers, you are easy prey,” Bucky said walking around Steve. Bucky kicked Steve again. Steve rolled and slammed into a tree. Steve glared up at Bucky. How could his best friend have him suffer like this?   
“Why?” Steve asked.   
“Steve Rogers is a weak man. Take him down, and Captain America will fall as well. We almost succeeded in taking down the man before. I had you falling apart as a man. You couldn’t focus on missions, you were leading the team down the wrong path. I mean even your first run-in with the assassin you couldn’t form a decent plan… then you had to meet the assassin. But we had no idea taking him from you would bring down Captain America this much,” Bucky said.   
Steve's eyes went wide. He was slipping as Captain America since Mark went missing. Steve felt himself fall apart when this happened, and that’s what Hydra wanted. They worked to take down Captain America, and they were succeeding.   
“Where is Mark?” Steve shouted at Bucky.   
Bucky bent down to look into Steve’s eyes. “He is gone. He is with us now. And if you want to keep him safe, you better stay away from him. You think Madam Hydra doesn’t know that you two met in that garage? You going to that coffee shop gave it all away.”  
“What?” Steve asked.   
Bucky stood up and kicked Steve in the face, “You lost him. Accept it. It’s your fault we found out about it.”   
Steve spat blood from his mouth. He lied the on the cool ground trying not to accept what Bucky said.   
“You will see him again, he just won’t be the Mark you remember. It will be all your fault,” Bucky said as he walked away. Steve turned to see Bucky leaving him there. Hydra did know how to destroy Captain America, they were doing it by destroying Steve. Steve couldn’t accept losing Mark. Steve felt tears in his eyes as he thought what could be happening to Mark. He needed to save Mark, he couldn’t let Hydra take Mark from him. Steve just felt the tears fall from his eyes. At some point, he heard someone shouting his name. Steve thought it was Mark. Steve lifted his head up and let his eyes adjust. He saw someone running to him. Two people were running toward him.   
“Steve, What happened?” Steve heard. When Steve’s eyes adjusted, he saw Clint and Natasha standing there.   
“Hang in there Steve, we will get you help,” Natasha said as Clint helped Steve up. “What happened?”  
“Hydra, they are plotting against me. And I think they are winning,” Steve said but didn’t want to say anymore. Steve just let them give him medical attention. All Steve could think about was what Bucky meant by Steve losing Mark. Steve wouldn’t accept it, he would do anything to get Mark back.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32  
Mark  
Mark sat on a workbench in the Hydra warehouse. He tried to act busy working on a weapon, but his mind was adrift in other thoughts. Mark couldn’t help but keep replaying his interaction with Steve Rogers. He was trying to figure out his emotions behind the whole thing. Mark kept re-enacting the whole conversation in his head, he would pause and remember an emotion he felt standing there next to Steve. He couldn’t help but question his emotions, he lost his memory after all. Mark just wondered what it all meant. Was there something more between him and Steve than he was lead to believe? And if there was, why didn’t Steve tell him or act on it? Steve looked just as conflicted as Mark did during the conversation. Mark needed to figure out more about what he was feeling for Steve.   
Mark turned his head as he heard a loud crash. A few Hydra agents were training, and one knocked the other across the room. Mark took a moment to scan the warehouse. He didn’t know what was going on in this warehouse. Madam Hydra kept the interworkings of this place a secret, even from Bucky. Mark didn’t like it, a woman that crazy with secrets is a dangerous game to play. Mark wanted to know more about what was going on here. He still didn’t know who to trust, but the more he thought about each side, and what happened at the hospital, he began to trust only himself. It was the safest bet to play. He held two strong allies for now: Bucky and Steve. Mark continued to check Bucky for scratches to see if Madam Hydra got her claws into him. So far, Mark found no wounds to suggest it.   
The warehouse doors opened. Mark turned to see who was entering at this hour. Bucky walked in, focused and not looking to greet Mark. Mark found this odd since Bucky always greeting him even in passing. Mark stood up and walked to cut Bucky off.   
“You were out late. Something happen?” Mark asked.  
“Business,” Bucky answered.   
Mark took a step back in defense of Bucky’s short answer. “Since when do you not tell me what’s up? What business?” Mark asked.   
“Mission, I completed it. All you need to know,” Bucky said as he walked past Mark. Mark quickly reached and grabbed Bucky’s gun. Bucky turned and saw Mark checking the gun.   
“Shots fired, an assassination mission this late? And a gun? Messy work for an assassin unless you wanted to gravely hurt the target before killing him,” Mark said unloading the clip. Bucky reached out to grab the gun from Mark. Mark avoided Bucky and stepped back.  
“Who was the target?” Mark asked.   
Bucky stood there and gave a cold stare to Mark. “Classified, you don’t need to know,” Bucky answered.   
Mark tilted his head to the answer. “You know the funny thing about that? I am a man with no memory. You can name any politician, CEO, or other leader and I would not know who you attacked. You not telling me says I know the person, which limits my choices. So which Avenger did you attack?” Mark asked. Bucky stood there wide-eyed for a moment. He didn’t expect Mark to figure it out so quickly. The truth is, Mark was right. The only people he truly knew were those in Hydra and the Avengers. Mark didn’t even know anyone in S.H.I.E.L.D. Bucky would only attack the Avengers, and it had to be someone Mark knew. Mark felt his heart race as he waited for the answer, he prayed it wasn’t Steve. Another thing for Mark to wonder about later, why did he feel so much anxiety at the thought of Steve being hurt?   
“Well? You gonna tell me which Avenger you attacked and why?” Mark asked again tossing Bucky his unloaded gun back to him. Bucky caught the gun but did not meet Mark’s eyes. Mark could tell Bucky was trying to come up with some sort of lie on the spot. Mark would see right through this and get the information from Bucky.  
“He said it was classified,” Mark heard as he looked over to Madam Hydra walking over to them. Damn, this would make things much more difficult for him.   
“And the one with no memory needs to be left in the dark of the organization he has been helping?” Mark asked bluffing slightly with his actual help.   
“Help? You mean how you left the information from Stark Industries behind or how about how you have been meeting with Captain America? Where do your loyalties lie exactly?” Madame Hydra asked as she folded her arms.   
Mark was screwed, Madam Hydra called his hand. He needed to admit to things without giving too much away. “My loyalties lie to myself until I can find a reason to trust either side. Right now I see multiple reasons to not trust Hydra or the Avengers. This display changes nothing for me. I will continue to do what I feel is best for me, helping you or not whichever is best for me,” Mark said. He hoped this would provide Madam Hydra with enough sense to tell him something. Mark watched as Madam Hydra let out a sigh, “Fine, you deserve to know the truth about one thing.” Mark felt a sense of victory when Madam Hydra said this. Mark stood waiting for more information. Madame Hydra looked to Bucky.   
“Grab him,” Madame Hydra said to Bucky. Before Mark could process the situation, Bucky grabbed him by the neck and picked him up. “Damn,” Mark said as he grabbed Bucky’s arm to pull himself up so he could breathe. Mark let his guard down for only a second, and Madam Hydra took advantage of it. Mark looked over to Madame Hydra with anger in his eyes. Madame Hydra stood there smiling.   
“Captain America,” Madame Hydra began. “He has been our target for years. Red Skull hated having him around but could never really bring down the soldier. What better way to bring down the soldier than to bring down the man. Bucky here had been our source for destroying Captain America from the inside for a few years. Captain America had been so shattered, he completely missed all of our forces at work. Missions he did go on he would fail. It was perfect until you came into the picture.”  
Mark struggled to keep his breathing while Bucky held him up. The damn metal arm had a tight grip on him. “Me?” Mark was able to let out.   
Madame Hydra stepped forward and stood next to Bucky. “Yes, you. You had to be something different for the great captain. You took him from Bucky. But then you did something which we could use. You had Captain America fall hard for you. What better way to break Captain America completely than to break you and turn you against him? It started with your memory. A simple task to get rid of thanks to you leaving a gift at S.H.I.E.L.D.,” Madame Hydra said pulling out a dagger. Mark looked at the ancient dagger. It had strange carvings on it which Mark couldn’t understand.   
“Then you had to get a concussion and stop the process,” Madam Hydra said walking up to Mark and cutting his arm with the dagger.   
‘Ah,” Mark shouted as she cut his arm.  
“But looks like this is a one-shot deal. It doesn’t work more when we have your blood. But least we got you here, now all we need to do is get you to act for us. Once you fight Captain America, he won’t be able to fight back, and you will be the one to take down the man,” Madam Hydra explained.   
Mark smiled, which was uncomfortable being held and choked by Bucky. “And how? You can’t make me,” Mark got out.   
Madame Hydra smiled back at Mark. Mark felt a chill come over him when she did. Madame Hydra leaned over to Bucky and kissed him on the lips. “I have my ways to make you do things,” Madame Hydra said.   
Mark’s eyes went wide. He had been looking for scratches on Bucky, but there were other ways to get the poison in him. The lipstick. Mark looked around quickly and tried to form a plan. He needed to know what they were doing, and there was only one place for him to do that.   
Mark pulled his leg up and wrapped it around Bucky’s arm. Quickly, Mark swung his other leg, knocking Bucky in the head. Bucky and Mark fell to the floor as Madame Hydra took a step back. Mark coughed for a second, feeling the freedom from Bucky’s grip. He quickly got up and ran to the office room. Madame Hydra looked over to Mark and turned to Bucky. “Stop him. Don’t kill him but use any force you deem necessary,” She said. Bucky got up and went after Mark. The other agents ran toward Mark to stop him. Mark had no time to attack, he needed to get to that office.   
Mark turned left and went between the work tables. He saw the agents and Bucky follow behind him, he needed a distraction. Mark grabbed something off of the table and pulled the pin, throwing it behind him. Mark then slide under a table and covered his head. A loud flash and bang came out. Mark could hear his ears ringing, and he felt disoriented. He looked back to see the others were blinded by the flash and falling to the floor confused, all but Bucky. Mark quickly got up and ran to the stairs. He climbed up and slammed the door behind him. He locked it with the deadbolt.   
“Wonder if it will hold?” Mark said as Bucky punched a hole through the door. “Nope,” Mark said as he quickly threw the filing cabinet against the door. Mark then ran to the desk and pushed it to the door. “This will buy some time,” Mark said as he pulled a USB out of his pocket. Mark plugged the USB drive into the laptop. Mark didn’t know what he was looking for so he opted to download everything he could. He needed to get all the information and get it to someone to figure out what was going on. While the computer downloaded on the drive, Mark searched the desk.   
“Come on, come on, it has to be here,” Mark looked and finally found a lipstick in the side drawer. “Got it,” Mark said putting it into his pocket. Mark looked at the door as Bucky slowly pushed it. Mark could see the desk moving, and he ran to push it back against the door. He needed as much time as possible to get all the files on the laptop. Bucky began to punch the door again. Pushing didn’t work but making holes in the door did. Bucky slowly worked his way through the door and began to punch to the filing cabinet. Mark looked at the laptop. It only had about sixty percent downloaded on the drive. Bucky began to punch more rapidly, breaking the metal cabinet. Mark saw a piece fly toward him, and he ducked to avoid being hit.   
“Damn,” Mark said. He had no choice. He grabbed the USB drive and held it tight. Bucky looked at him through the opening he made.  
“Nowhere to go,” Bucky said.   
“Now that’s a lie,” Mark said as he ran toward the window and crashed through it. Mark covered his head as he landed to avoid being hit by the glass falling down. Mark ran for the door. Mark was watching how Bucky was slowed down by all the mess he made getting to the office. Mark didn’t notice Madame Hydra standing in his way. Mark turned to see her and tried to quickly dodge right, but not in time. Madame Hydra reached out and scratched his chest with her nails. Mark held his chest as he ran.   
“You can run, but that will slow you down. It isn’t as fast acting as my other poisons, but you will come back. You will come back wanting the antidote,” Madame Hydra said as Mark reached the door.   
“If I can run, you won’t catch me,” Mark said.   
Madame Hydra smiled, “Oh we will. Like I said, that poison will slow you down. It will slow you down for these to catch you,” Madame Hydra pulled out a remote and pressed a button. Mark watched as four large machines emerged from the ground. This had been what Hydra was working on all this time, machines for war. Agents went into the machines and started them up.   
“Get him, make him pay for the damage he did here today, but don’t kill him. We need him to kill Captain America,” Madame Hydra said. The machines became fully operational and began to move, Mark didn’t wait to see what was happening. He ran out through the door and went for cover.   
“I need to hide,” Mark said as he ran. “I don’t know where but I need to find a safe house.” Mark ran as hard as he could. He looked back to see the warehouse roof open, and the machines fly out of it. They looked like walking tanks. Mark held his chest where he was cut. “This is bad,” Mark said. He could feel the poison begin to slow him down. He felt the pain slow at first and grow as the pain spread from the wound. He needed to find some way to deal with this, he needed help. All Mark could think about was how he wished Steve was here right now to help him. He turned the corner around a building and kept running. He didn’t have anyone here or see anyone there waiting to save him. He was alone but determined to survive this.


	33. CHapter 33

Chapter 33  
Andrea  
Andrea was pissed as she walked into the hospital. Once again she found herself and Tony coming back from a honeymoon only to make their first stop be the hospital. Why did it always have to be this complicated for them to get away? Tony did his best to help Andrea cope with the news of Steve being shot by Winter Soldier, but truth be told, Andrea knew Tony was angrier than she was at this moment. Tony couldn’t believe how Steve let himself fall into such an obvious trap. They both entered the hallway of the S.H.I.E.L.D. section of the hospital and went to Steve’s room.   
“Why do we always have to find someone severely injured when we come back from vacation?” Andrea shouted when she and Tony walked in.  
“Stop going on honeymoons, it’s just like the bomb theory when you two first got together,” Clint said as Tony and Andrea walked up to Steve.   
“Shut it, Barton,” Tony said glaring at Clint. Clint coward in fear at the glare and Natasha just patted Clint on the back. Tony turned to look at Steve.   
“What happened?” Tony asked.   
“You know what happened, Tony. Bucky got me in the leg. He said I was supposed to suffer. He said they have Mark…and…” Steve trailed off not able to finish his sentence.   
“Steve!” Andrea shouted as she got up close to Steve. “I get it you care about him a lot, but he is my best friend. Tell me what they are doing or did to him. Now!”  
Steve winced back at Andrea’s forcefulness, but Andrea was not playing around. Everyone could see how she gripped the side of the bed tightly. Andrea was worried, she didn’t want anything to happen to Mark.   
“Bucky said he will not be the same Mark we remember. He said Mark will be the one to kill me,” Steve finally said.   
The room went silent. Andrea felt her heart drop to her stomach as she held her hand to her mouth. She fought back every instinct to smash the room and curse every word she knew right now. She couldn’t believe how low Hydra would go. They were doing something to Mark, and they were going to make Mark kill Steve.   
“I…I don’t want to see Mark like that. We need to save him,” Steve said.   
“We will,” Tony said as he walked over to Andrea. Andrea was still frozen by the news Steve said. Tony wrapped his arm around Andrea which snapped her out of her frozen state. She smiled at Tony but felt the fear still inside her. She didn’t know what Hydra was capable of, which made them even more dangerous than anything she has faced.   
“Any idea where Mark is now?” Natasha asked from her seat next to Clint.   
Steve let out a sigh, “No. I tried to see if I could find him in that coffee shop again, but I made things worse. Hydra found out about our meeting because of me. Bucky said so when he attacked me. I might have put Mark in more danger without knowing it.”  
Andrea reached over and grabbed Steve’s hand, “You tried. No one can really blame you. It was dumb to go every day, though, but we all watched you and hoped you would find him and bring him back. We should have thought it through more.”  
“Thanks, and I know,” Steve said.   
“So we have a time limit to find him,” Tony said turning to look at Natasha and Clint. “Any leads on your end?”   
Clint looked at Natasha, who only shook her head. “No, we found nothing in the underground or through any of our sources. Mark might not go down that route, losing his memories would put him at a great disadvantage with everyone. He wouldn’t risk it.”  
Tony nodded, “And we got no word on any Hydra movement, so we are stuck. We don’t know where to go from here.”  
“We have to figure out something,” Andrea said. “Hydra has to be up to something big. They won’t stay silent for long.”  
“When they turn up we will strike. We need to be more cautious, though, Hydra is watching us more closely than we realized,” Tony said.   
“They are watching me more closely than we realized,” Steve corrected. “I need to be more careful. Bucky didn’t say anything about anyone else. You guys have more freedom to search than I do.”  
“But you’re our best bet to bring Mark back to us,” Tony said. “He might not trust any of us.”  
“We need to change that,” Andrea said looking up at Tony. “He can trust me. I can spark some memory in him, I know it. We just need the right opportunity is all.”  
“Well you might have the right time soon,” Andrea heard from the doorway. She turned to see Nick Fury standing there in the door frame. “Silvio, Stark, Romanova, Barton, we need to chat.”  
“Why not just say you don’t want Rogers in the conversation?” Clint asked Fury.   
“Because then I would sound like an asshole like you just did, Barton. Now, in the hallway, we need to chat,” Fury said as he stepped out.   
“If it's about Mark I want to know,” Steve shouted as he sat up.  
Fury looked over his shoulder and glared at Steve, at least Andrea thought it was a glare. It was difficult to tell with Fury having only one eye.   
“If I wanted to let you know something, Rogers, I would. I am speaking to the rest of them while you are off getting yourself into stupid situations and ending up in the hospital. You stay here, I don’t need Captain America doing something dumb yet again,” Fury spat out.   
Steve sunk back into the hospital bed in defeat. Fury was right for the most part. Andrea was still holding Steve’s hand, and she squeezed it. “I will handle it, don’t worry,” Andrea said. Steve smiled back at her, and Andrea followed the rest into the hallway.   
“So what’s the news? Tell me you have something for us,” Tony said.   
“I do Stark, but you guys won’t like it. We found Hydra movement. Seems they got a hold of some Stark Industry tech and have walking tanks. They are on the move right now. We need to stop them or at least slow them down,” Fury said.   
“Why do you always think it is my tech that’s stolen when someone makes a giant robot?” Tony defended back.   
“When you see them Stark, you will believe me,” Fury said.   
“What are the walking tanks up to? Attacking the city? Going for S.H.I.E.L.D.?” Natasha asked.   
“Hunting down Mark,” Fury said.   
“What?” Andrea asked.   
“They just went on the move. We found them on our satellite. They are in the warehouse district, most likely where Hydra has been hiding. We found them chasing Mark. You need to go now to get him before they do,” Fury said.   
Everyone looked at one another then back at Steve.   
“He is not going. He has done enough dumb shit and can sit there thinking about what he did. Plus he is in no condition to help. Get Mark back, Hydra seems very determined to not let him get away,” Fury said.   
Andrea felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Tony looking at her. “You ready for this?” Tony asked.   
“Got your briefcase with you?” Andrea asked.   
“Never leave home without it,” Tony said.   
“Good, we will go on ahead. Clint, Natasha, you guys catch up. We will fly over there in style and stop them,” Andrea said pulling out her batons.   
Fury smiled, “I will send you the coordinates Stark,” Fury said.   
“Already got them,” Tony responded, “But thanks.”  
Andrea grabbed Tony’s hand and ran to the elevator. The doors opened, and they got in.   
“Where is the briefcase?” Andrea asked.   
“The car, it will take a minute, you sure you are fine fighting like that?” Tony asked addressing Andrea’s jeans, heels, and shirt.   
“This is how we fought before joining you guys. I’m fine don't worry,” Andrea said.   
The doors opened, and Andrea ran for the car. She pushed a few people out of the way to get to the car as fast as she could. Andrea wasn’t going to let Hydra get Mark. She ran outside and down the street. She got to the car, but the door was still locked, and Tony was lagging behind. Andrea couldn’t wait any longer. She smashed her baton against the window, and the alarm went off. She didn’t care. She reached in and grabbed the case. Tony was in sight, and Andrea tossed him the case. Tony didn’t catch it. Instead, it began to mold to him as he made contact with it and he soon dawned the Iron Man suit. Andrea ran to him, and Tony picked her up. They jetted off from the car still blaring the alarm.   
It only took a few minutes to see what Fury was talking about. Andrea saw four walking tanks moving fast between the warehouses. Andrea squinted to see what they were chasing. She could see a man running from them, sliding under cars to keep moving and attempt to slow down the tanks.   
“It’s Mark,” Andrea said. Tony stopped and hovered there, using his tech to make sure she was right.   
“It is, he looks hurt. He is holding his chest while he is running and I can see blood,” Tony confirmed.   
Andrea gripped tight before she gave her command. “Drop me down near him and slow down those tanks. I will cover him while you distract the machines. Wait until Clint and Natasha show up to really engage and take them down. Four will be tough on your own.”   
“But not impossible,” Tony argued back. Andrea grabbed the helmet and turned it to face her, “Don’t do anything stupid. One of us needs to be sane, and I am going to be the one to do the stupid things. When you fly down, you're dropping me above Mark. We won’t have time for you to land and fly off, those tanks will take us both out if you land. You are going to have to drop me a good twenty feet.”  
Tony didn’t move when Andrea said this. He just stayed there hovering. Andrea watched as one of the tanks readied a missile and fired it. Mark jumped to the side, but the force of the blast sent him crashing into the side of a warehouse door.   
“Tony, we don’t have time!” Andrea shouted. Tony snapped out of his shock and flew closer. He held Andrea by the hands as she readied to be dropped. Andrea could see Mark slowly getting up from the crash and the tank readying another missile. Tony let go of Andrea, and she hit the ground running. She quickly got out her batons and slide in front of Mark as the missile launched. Andrea placed a forcefield up with her batons protecting herself and Mark from the blast. Mark slowly looked up at her then above to see Iron Man firing at the tanks to distract them.   
“You guys know how to cut it close,” Mark said slowly standing up.   
“Hooker, you cut it close. I am not the one trying to outrun those things,” Andrea snapped back at Mark. Mark tilted his head at Andrea. “Hooker?” Mark asked looking at Andrea. Andrea felt some hope if there was a word to spark his memory that was it.   
“Who are you calling a hooker? You swooped down and almost got yourself killed as well. They don’t want to kill me, so before you start going around calling people hooker, you should collect yourself and your crazy,” Mark said.   
Andrea squeaked and jumped into Mark giving him a hug. “I missed ya hooker,” Andrea said.   
“Pain, pain in the chest, please don’t jump on me again,” Mark said.   
“Sorry,” Andrea said as she stepped back and looked at the cut. It wasn’t a normal wound. Mark’s veins began to show black from the wound. “What the hell?” Andrea said looking closer. Mark stepped back for a second. “Poison. It's an insurance measure to get me to go back to Hydra,” Mark explained.   
Andrea looked at the damage from the missiles. “I don’t think they get the point of bringing you back,” Andrea said. Andrea looked at the tanks, and she was right. Tony was struggling to manage them. One of the tanks turned to face Mark and Andrea revealing an ion cannon.   
“Shit,” Andrea said grabbing her batons. Mark grabbed Andrea, and they both ran, turning the corner as the ion cannon fired. The blast sent a shock wave, but they held their ground. Andrea looked back at the wreckage. “Are they trying to kill you?” Andrea asked. Mark looked at the blast area, “No, the blast would have missed us, by about a foot. It would knock us both to the side from the shockwave, though.”  
“What the hell did you do for them to go balls to the wall trying to catch you?” Andrea asked.   
“A few things. Come on, we need to keep moving. We can hide while the tanks are clearing through,” Mark said grabbing her hand. Mark lead the way cutting corners trying to weave through the warehouses so they could shake the tanks from finding them.   
Andrea thought they put some distance between them and the tanks until they heard a blast, the sound of something launching. They heard another and looked to see two tanks flying overhead.   
“Those bastards can fly? Well, we are fucked,” Andrea said.   
“We sure are,” Mark agreed. The tanks landed in front of them. They took aim with missiles. Andrea felt herself brace for impact when she was ready to drop her forcefield, but two blasts…she didn’t know if it would hold. The tanks took aim and then one tank went down with a blast. The other turned to see where the shot came from, and another blast took that one down. Andrea looked over to see Hawkeye. Hawkeye waved at her, and she waved back.   
“That’s three here,” Mark said. Andrea looked at him and tilted her head, “Three?” She asked.   
“Bucky told me he attacked an Avenger. I see three of you, I am hoping it wasn’t someone,” Mark said.   
Andrea had grabbed his hand before she spoke, “You know it was. He is fine but in the hospital right now. I promised him we would make sure you would be okay,” Andrea said. Then they both turned to the tanks shot down by Hawkeye. Neither had damage on the outside and slowly began to stand up. “Not good,” Mark said and ran forward still holding Andrea’s hand.  
“Are you insane? We run from them, not toward,” Andrea said.   
“Trust me,” Mark said. The tanks took aim but didn’t fire since Andrea and Mark were so close and Mark and Andrea ran between them. Mark dropped a grenade and pulled Andrea to run faster. Andrea heard a blast and saw a flash from behind her. The tanks were frozen from the flashbang grenade, and this gave them a chance to run.   
Andrea and Mark ran between the warehouses and turned to run further. They stopped to catch their breath, and Andrea turned to see Tony still struggling with the tanks.   
“Tony? What's the status? Any idea how to take these things down?” Andrea asked over the Comlink.   
“No idea. They are from Stark Industries. I built them tough. They improved on the weak points. Not sure if we are going to get out of this fight alive. Black Widow is coming in on a chopper to see if that will take them down,” Tony replied.   
“Not good,” Andrea said.   
“What?” Mark asked. Andrea forgot he didn’t have a Comlink to listen to the conversation.   
“The team is struggling with the tanks. Iron Man said he can’t find a weak point on them. I don’t know how we will get out of this one,” Andrea said looking down in worry. She turned to look at Mark, who she knew was planning something. “What are you thinking?”   
“We can get out of this, it will be cutting it close,” Mark said looking around. He walked to one of the warehouses and lifted the door. They found boxes inside.   
“I need a ride,” Mrk said going to another door. Andrea didn’t know his plan, but she went to look at another warehouse looking for a ride. When she lifted the door, she found a motorcycle. “Hey Mark, will this work?” Andrea asked. Mark froze as he looked at her, “You know my name?” Mark asked.   
Andrea sighed, “Yeah, yeah, the memory loss I know. I know yours, you don’t know mine, but we are in a bit of a jam so tell me, will this work?” Andrea asked pointing to the motorcycle. Mark walked over.   
“It will, but I don’t know how to hotwire a motorcycle,” Mark said.   
“Luckily I do,” Andrea said as she walked over and quickly wired the motorcycle to start.   
“So what’s the plan?” Andrea asked. Andrea watched as Mark reached into his pocket and pulled out a USB drive and lipstick.   
“Wearing makeup now? I didn’t think green was your shade, though,” Andrea joked, Mark rolled his eyes.   
“This drive holds as much information from Madame Hydra’s laptop I could get before I needed to escape. It might hold something on these tanks or their plan. This lipstick holds a mind-control poison. Try and find a cure, it will save Bucky,” Mark explained to Andrea. Andrea took the items and looked at Mark.   
“Okay…and the plan which involved us stealing the motorcycle?” Andrea asked. Mark turned to look at her, “We are not stealing it. I am. They want me, I can lead them away. If we stay and fight, you will lose, and I will be captured. Tell the others to wait for the flashbang to go off. It will tell them where you are and will get the attention of the tanks. Then tell them to fire all they have at the Tanks once they see me. It will slow them down enough for me to get away.”  
“You realize, Steve will kill me if he knows I let you go off while poisoned and hurt,” Andrea said putting a hand on her hip. She saw Mark smile.   
“I figured he would, which is why we won’t tell him. You are the only one who knows. Keep it from him, least till I get to the mansion,” Mark said.   
Andrea’s eyes widened, “Wait if you come back with those things following you…” She began.   
“Two days,” Mark said cutting her off. “I will be at the mansion in two days. Okay?” Mark asked.   
Andrea folded her arms while looking at Mark. “You have four days until Steve gets back from the hospital. If he shows and you are not there, he is going to kill me,” Andrea said.   
“I will be there in two days, Now tell the others the plan and take cover hooker. You don’t want to get hit by the flashbang,” Mark said with a smile.   
Andrea smiled when Mark said those words, But she had no time to be sentimental. She went into the warehouse and took cover. She reached up to the Comlink, “Guys when you see the flash, hit them with everything you got. Mark is going to make a run for it and lead them away. We can’t take them out now,” Andrea said.   
“Wait, we found him, and now we are going to let him go?” Clint asked.   
“We can’t fight these things right now Hawkeye, we need a plan,” Natasha said over the Comlink.   
“Trust him,” Andrea said. There was a long period of silence over the radio then finally Tony broke the silence, “Alright, we will wait for the signal. I hope it works.”  
Andrea gave a thumbs up to Mark. Mark pulled the pin from the flashbang grenade and threw it straight up. He hopped on the motorcycle and was off. Andrea saw the flash but was covered enough not to be affected by it. There was silence for a few seconds before she heard the bangs from the others attacking the tanks. It didn’t do much from what Andrea guessed since she heard the tanks fly overhead seconds later. She hoped this worked. Andrea waited for a few minutes then walked out of the warehouse. She looked down the road in the direction Mark took off. She could see the tanks in the distance but not Mark, he must have been further ahead. Tony landed near her.   
“Well, when will he be back?” Tony asked.   
“Two days, least that’s what he said. If he isn’t back…I don’t know what will happen,” Andrea said thinking of the poison and the black veins she saw on Mark’s chest.   
“He will be back in time to great Steve,” Tony said.   
“I hope,” Andrea said looking at the tanks still in the distance.   
“Those things are tough, we need to figure out a weak point on them,” Tony said, and Andrea handed him the USB drive Mark gave her and the lipstick.   
“We have work to do, we need to head back,” Andrea said looking up at Tony.   
“What’s this?” Tony asked.   
“Hopefully, a way to break those things and a poison which we need to find an antidote for Bucky. We might want to do some more research on Madame Hydra’s poisons,” Andrea said looking down the road. The tanks were not seen anymore. “Just in case.”


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34   
Tony  
It had been three days since they let Mark lead the tanks away. Tony was feeling anxious about the whole thing. Mark told Andrea he would come to the mansion in two days, he was already a day late. And worse, Tony made the mistake of letting Steve know what happened. Andrea tried to tell Tony to let Mark show up and surprise Steve, but Steve was a bundle of nerves wondering what happened on the mission. Fury didn’t want Steve to know anything about the mission, and Tony loved going against what Fury wanted, so he told Steve. What a mistake that was.   
Tony spent most of the day in the lab. He was analyzing the data Mark got them along with finding a protein to counteract the poison he found. Andrea and Tony quickly synthesized a protein to work against the poison, but Andrea was hard at work researching other poisons while Tony was working on finding the weak points in the tanks. Tony and Andrea worked hard in the lab while Clint and Natasha were out searching for Mark. There was no point in all of them being out there if Mark said he would find his way to the mansion. The part Tony couldn’t manage was Steve constantly calling throughout the day. Tony heard his phone ringing and looked up from the computer. He let it ring when it cut out he saw the light go off, showing another voicemail left by Steve. Tony counted, and this was the twenty-third voicemail today. This was lower than the actual number of calls and text messages Steve sent to Tony and the rest of the team. Everyone gave Tony the task of keeping Steve updated since he went against Andrea’s plan. The phone rang again.   
“Can you please pick it up or put it on silent,” Andrea shouted from her desk. “He has been calling all day, and you aren’t updating him on anything.”  
“Do you want to be the one to tell him Mark isn’t here?” Tony asked as he reached over for his phone. He switched it to silent mode when it stopped ringing.   
“No, but you were the one who thought it would be a good idea to tell him Mark would be here in two days. Of course, Steve will blow up all our phones on the third day. I can only image how he is feeling not knowing anything that is going on,” Andrea said scorning Tony on his decision. Tony now regretted the choice to tell Steve about Mark being here. He let out a sigh and walked over to Andrea.   
“Sorry, I thought it was the right thing to do. I don’t want Steve left in the dark about what is going on,” Tony said sitting next to Andrea. Andrea smiled and hugged Tony.   
“I know you thought it was the best thing to do, but nothing is guaranteed with this situation. Steve is already a mess about what Bucky told him and not to mention shooting him in the leg. We need to be more thoughtful in what we tell him,” Andrea said.   
Tony leaned against Andrea. “You’re right.”  
“I am always right, if you listened to me more we both would have fewer headaches,” Andrea said. Tony looked down at Andrea’s phone as it lite up, she was smart in putting it on silent earlier in the day than he did.   
“How many times did he reach out to you?” Tony asked.   
“I don’t want to even look,” Andrea said sliding the phone further away. “When I see the actual number I might throw up. My guess is Steve is going in circles calling all of us, but reaching out to you the most I think. You were the one who said you would keep him updated,” Andrea said with a smile.   
“I get it, I messed up,” Tony said throwing his hands up in defeat.   
“You sure did,” Andrea said with a smile. Tony put his phone on the table. He looked over to the research Andrea was doing and was curious as to what she was looking up.   
“You are searching for more poisons? But we found a cure for the one Mark brought us,” Tony asked.   
“Its prep work really. I feel like we are going to have to find a cure for another poison really soon,” Andrea said looking at the computer and not at Tony.   
Tony thought for a moment while Andrea scrolled through symptoms of poisons. “You know something and aren’t telling me,” Tony said.   
Andrea stayed quiet and didn’t respond to Tony’s question. Andrea kept working on finding symptoms of poisoning.   
“You are looking for a specific poison. You definitely know something I don’t,” Tony said looking at the screen.   
“Can you just trust me?” Andrea asked.   
Tony leaned back and thought for a moment. He could not figure out why Andrea was keeping a secret from him. And more importantly, why she asked him to trust him. Then it hit Tony, and he almost fell off his chair when he realized what Andrea was hiding.   
“He’s poisoned, isn’t he? And you let him run off?” Tony asked.   
Andrea sighed. “Do you really think I could have stopped him? We need to trust him right now. Since when do you not trust him?” Andrea asked.   
Tony was about to respond, but then he shut his mouth. He had always been the one to argue Mark’s actions, and now he was wondering what Mark was thinking. Mark always acted in a way that Tony could defend but right now all Tony could think about is what Steve would do if they knew Mark was poisoned and they let him go.   
“You would have done the same thing he did,” Andrea said. Tony looked up at her from his thoughts. Tony didn’t even need to think about it before he replied, “You’re right. I would have to protect all of you. But who is going to face Steve when Mark isn’t here, and we know this?” Tony asked.   
“Well…That’s why we aren’t going to tell him,” Andrea said with a smile.  
“Are you really suggesting we lie? I don’t know if we can do that to Steve. Usually, I am all for lying, but he has been through a lot,” Tony said looking into Andrea’s eyes.   
Andrea leaned in and looked directly into Tony’s eyes. “You are going to have to trust me. Mark will be here before Steve gets here. You shouldn’t have told him the information already. Now he is going insane at the hospital,” Andrea said. At that moment. Tony’s phone lite up again. It was Steve.   
“He is going insane, and we can’t keep ignoring him like this,” Tony said. At that moment Andrea grabbed Tony’s phone and hers. She pulled out a hammer from her desk and smashed both phones with the hammer.   
“Oh no! What an unfortunate accident. I am so clumsy. Well, I guess Steve will have to wait until our phones are fixed to reach us,” Andrea said with a smile.   
Tony looked at the smashed phones than at Andrea smiling. “You are one devious woman,” Tony said.   
“One of the reasons why you married me,” Andrea said still smiling.   
“Sir, a call from Master Rogers is coming in, should I send it through,” Jarvis said over the speaker. Tony sighed and looked at Andrea with a flat face. Andrea smiled and held up the hammer.   
“You are not smashing Jarvis,” Tony said. Andrea made a sad face and put the hammer down on the desk. “Take a message, Jarvis,” Tony said.   
“Sir, Master Rogers is adamant to know some information on Master Mark. Should I tell him he is back?” Jarvis asked.   
Tony and Andrea went wide eyed and looked at one another. “What?” Both said at the same time as they stood up.   
“Master Mark has been back for a few hours. Should I let Master Rogers know he is back?” Jarvis repeated himself.   
“Where is he, Jarvis?” Tony asked.   
“And let Steve know Jarvis,” Andrea added.   
“Sir, Master Mark is in the training room. I will let Master Rogers know,” Jarvis said. Tony and Andrea ran for the stairs. They went up the stairs in a flash and ran up the next flight. They didn’t hesitate one moment as they went up to the third floor to the training floor.   
Tony and Andrea burst through the doors, and there Mark was standing. Mark turned to the sound of the door opening, he was near the broken punching bags.   
“Um, hi?” Mark said with Andrea and Tony staring at him wide-eyed.   
“What the actual hell? You show up here and don’t even tell us you are here? What is wrong with you?” Andrea was shouting at Mark.   
Mark held up his hands in defense, “Hey I was looking for someone, but the place is empty. Not to mention the lack of security. I walked right in with no issues,” Mark said.   
“There is no lack of security. Jarvis recognized you and let you in. And why wouldn’t you think to look in the lab? We are always in there,” Tony asked.   
Mark glared at Tony, “Okay for one, how would I know you are always in the lab? Memory loss remember?”   
“Oh right,” Andrea said.   
“Second, who the hell is Jarvis?” Mark asked.   
“I am Jarvis, Master Mark,” Jarvis said. Mark looked around the room.   
“Creepy,” Mark said.   
Tony walked forward, “So let’s see the damage?” Tony asked.   
“Damage?” Mark asked.   
“The poison, Where were you hit and what are the symptoms?” Tony asked. Mark glared at Andrea. “Who knows?” Mark asked.   
Andrea walked forward, “He figured it out a little while ago. You might as well tell him. Between the two of us we can figure out what the poison is made of and find a cure,” Andrea said.   
Mark held his glare and unbuttoned a few buttons of his shirt. He pulled one side back to show the scratches from Madam Hydra.   
“Shit,” Tony said as he saw the black veins from the cut. “It looks like when my ARC reactor was poisoning me. It must be a slow-acting poison,” Tony said leaning in looking at the cut.   
“I’m sorry what?” Andrea said looking at Tony.   
“It was a while ago, but the symptoms look like they are the same, least visually. What about shortness of breath? Pain? Faint feeling now and again?” Tony asked.   
“Yeah, all of the above. The pain is getting worse and sharper. But I don’t think this is poisoning from an element. It is spreading even when I tried to clean it out,” Mark said.   
“Clean it out?” Andrea asked.   
“He tried to bleed out the poison,” Tony said standing up. Tony grabbed his chin before he said his thoughts. “He is right, this is not of an element, but curious how it could mimic the symptoms.”  
“Again, I’m sorry, are we going to ignore the bleeding out part? How much blood did you lose?” Andrea asked.   
“Less than a pint, I couldn’t afford more on the run. It didn’t help, so I didn’t do it again. So what about the other stuff I gave you? Know what Madame Hydra is up to?” Mark asked.   
Tony leaned up from looking at the cut and Mark buttoned up his shirt. “We synthesized a cure for the poison. The files you brought us did have the schematics for the tanks. We are trying to find a weak point,” Tony said walking over to grab a towel. “Now for your poison, we are going to need a sample,” Tony handed the towel to Mark. Mark grabbed the towel and pressed it under his shirt. Tony could see Mark wince in pain and handed Tony the towel. Mark’s veins showed as black because his blood was a dark red, almost black right now.   
“It’s breaking down your blood,” Tony said.   
“Only at the wound that the poison entered,” Mark said.   
“How do you know?” Andrea asked. Mark lifted the leg of his pants and showed his calf wrapped in a bandage.   
“I didn’t make it out unharmed from those tanks. But as you can see, the blood there is red. For some reason, the wound on my chest keeps it black, something to do with the poison my guess,” Mark said.   
“Speaking of which, you said two days,” Andrea said crossing her arms.   
“And you said I had four until Steve got back here,” Mark said.   
Tony looked over at Andrea, “So that’s why you weren’t nervous. You gave him more time,” Tony said.   
Andrea shrugged her shoulders, “What can I say. I know Mark best, and we are usually late to things.” Andrea walked up to Mark and looked at his face. “How long were you running from those things?” She asked.   
“Non-stop since I left you there at the warehouse. I think the only reason they gave up is they know I might have to go back to Madam Hydra,” Mark said.   
“Go back?” Tony asked.   
“She is the only one who holds the cure for this,” Mark said putting his hand on his chest. “She was confident about me coming back, I hope she’s wrong.” Andrea hugged Mark. Mark winced in pain, “Sorry,” Andrea said. “Just glad you are back. You better get some rest.”  
“Thanks, but um…” Mark said for a moment while Tony and Andre just stared at him. “Hookers, I don’t know where I am going…” Mark finally said.   
Tony and Andrea just laughed. “We need to remember you don’t remember things. Jarvis, can you tell him the way? Also hookers?” Tony asked.   
“I can, Sir. Master Mark head down the stairs and I will tell you the rest of the way,” Jarvis said.   
“Um, thanks, Jarvis. And yeah hookers, it's from an old friend,” Mark said smiling at Andrea as he walked out of the room and down the stairs. Tony turned his gaze to the towel, and the poison began eating away at the towel.   
“That’s not good, what do you think?” Andrea asked looking at the towel.   
“I think he lied about the symptoms so we wouldn’t worry. And I think he knows he is going to have to go to Madam Hydra for the cure,” Tony said looking up from the towel to the door.   
“Let’s start analyzing it, We can at least slow it down,” Andrea said leading the way.   
“Yeah,” Tony said looking down at the black poison, “But by how much?” Tony asked.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35  
Steve  
Steve was nervous walking up to the mansion. Tony picked him up from the hospital, but he stood there outside of it worried about what waited for him inside.   
“You are going to have to see him soon,” Tony said.   
“I know but… it’s weird. It’s like I am meeting him for the first time but I know our past, and he doesn’t at all,” Steve said.   
“Doesn’t sound weird at all,” Tony said. Steve glared at Tony. “What? It perfectly describes the situation. Why would that be weird?” Tony asked. Steve rolled his eyes and still stood there.   
“Well if you are not going in, I am not waiting another ten minutes out here with you,” Tony said walking forward and grabbed the handle fo the door.   
“Wait,” Steve said as he stepped forward. Steve still limped from the gun wound. The doctors said he would be fine by tomorrow, the miracle of super soldier serum. “I… I am ready,” Steve said.   
“For your pseudo first date?” Tony asked.   
“Shut it Stark and open the door,” Steve said. Tony laughed and opened the door. Steve expected Mark to be standing there, but it was only Andrea who came out to hug him. “Welcome back,” Andrea said jumping onto Steve with a hug.   
Steve laughed, “Thanks. So where is he?” Steve asked.   
“In your room. Well, yours and his room. Go see him,” Andrea said.   
Steve began to walk into the mansion with Andrea next to him. Tony closed the door when they were all in.   
“I heard you two have been getting along,” Steve said.   
“Now Steve, don’t be jealous because he remembered me more than you,” Andrea said with a smile.   
“If I recall, he couldn’t hit me while he threw you into Natasha and Clint,” Steve replied.   
Andrea glared at Steve, “I am going to say your lapse of judgment by making fun of me is because of your jealousy,” Andre said. Steve laughed and stopped as he stood in front of the stairs.   
“Oh come on, do we have to wait another ten minutes for you to climb the stairs now?” Clint shouted at the top of the staircase. Natasha slapped his arm, “He is right, though, we have been waiting a while just to see your reaction when you see Mark,” Natasha said.   
Steve let out a sigh, “Fine, I won’t keep you waiting. But it’s not like you will see my reaction,” Steve said.   
“We know,” Clint began. “But we wanted to at least see what we could. We all expect you two want privacy to catch up and get the kinks out of your back and such,” Clint said. Steve looked confused as he looked at Andrea and Tony.   
“He is trying to say you and Mark are going to have sex, but he said it weirdly,” Tony said shaking his head at Clint. Steve felt his face turn red. “I um…” Steve began.  
“Steve,” Andrea said. “Just go talk to him already.” Steve gained his composer and began to walk up the stairs.   
“This is like the end to some drama,” Clint said.   
“That some drama seems to always be our lives,” Natasha as said they watched Steve walk up the stairs. Steve began to feel pressure as he reached to top and turned to go to his and Mark’s room. It had been such a long time since they both were in there and soon he would see Mark there. Steve walked in the door and reached for the door handle. He hesitated for a second but moved forward and opened the door. The door flew open, and Steve saw Mark standing there near the dresser holding something in his hands. Mark looked over at Steve.   
“Hey,” Mark said. Steve almost felt tears in his eyes when Mark said that. It was always how Mark would greet him. Steve stepped into the room. “Hey,” Steve said back to Mark with a smile.   
“They had their fun teasing you I see,” Mark said eyeing in the direction of everyone else.   
“They did, they mean well,” Steve said stepping forward closer to Mark. Steve fought his impulse to hug Mark, not knowing how Mark would react. Instead, Steve just felt his nerves and began to fidget from one foot to the other.   
Mark looked over at Steve, “It’s weird I know.”  
“It’s really weird,” Steve agreed.   
“You don’t need to be nervous,” Mark said. “I don’t remember anything. Even if the last conversation we had was a fight, I don’t remember it.”  
“Why would we fight?” Steve said raising an eyebrow.   
Mark shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know. It’s been really weird for me, Steve. I feel like I am putting together a puzzle as I find the pieces along the way.”  
Steve felt his nerves begin to calm down as Mark spoke to him. “So let’s begin with what parts of the puzzle you did figure out,” Steve said as he took a seat on the bed.   
Mark smiled at Steve, “Want me to reveal my hand so you guys could manipulate me?”   
Steve felt his heart drop, “No, no, I just… I don’t know. Maybe help you solve the puzzle? At least what’s left of it? I don’t know…” Steve felt his nerves kick in again, and he was more flustered than ever. Mark laughed, and that laugh made Steve feel a wave of calm.   
“I am just kidding. From what I gathered, you were right about a lot of the stuff you told me. I am an Avenger. Jarvis showed me that. I got into this mansion with no trouble at all. He recognized me and put no security barriers. I have been hunted by S.H.I.E.L.D. and by Hydra. So for Jarvis not to put up some defense must mean I am an Avenger,” Mark explained.   
“Yeah well, I could have told you that,” Steve said with a smile. Mark smiled back and looked down at what he was holding in his hand.   
“I just don’t know the rest. It’s a big part finding out I am an Avenger. The other big part I am struggling with a little,” Mark said.   
“Other big part,” Steve asked.   
Mark walked over and took a seat next to Steve. Steve didn’t know what to expect at this moment.   
Mark looked around the room as he spoke. “I am someone important to you. I don’t know what that means, but it's why Hydra wants to use me against you. They hunted me down to hurt you. Bucky came by and even threatened you point blank with that information. I don’t know how to explain things inside, though,” Mark said as he looked down at his hands.   
“Inside?” Steve asked.   
“I have been fighting something inside me. I feel like if I listened to it from the beginning then maybe it wouldn’t be so bad right now. But I can be stubborn,” Mark said.   
“Yeah I know how stubborn you can be,” Steve agreed. Mark glared at Steve with a smile, and Steve couldn’t help but laugh. Mark let down his glare and looked back down at his hands smiling. “It’s nice to see you smile. It’s things like that I can’t really explain. Like why I can’t hurt you. Or when I found out Bucky hurt someone on the Avengers, I went crazy knowing it was you. It’s just weird, to say the least, to have these emotions with nothing to back it up. I am sure it is weird for you too,” Mark said looking over at Steve.   
“It’s been really weird. It almost feels like a first date, but it's not. I know everything I like about you, but I don’t know if you hold the memories of what you like about me. It has me nervous you might not like me anymore,” Steve confessed finally.   
“First date huh?” Mark asked. “And here I thought you just had an innocent crush on me,” Mark said jokingly.   
“Oh, haha,” Steve said. Steve looked down at Mark's hands. “What are you holding?” Steve asked.   
Mark opened his hands to reveal Steve’s dog tags, “You are an army guy. I just wanted to see if it would link anything to my memory.”  
“Did it?” Steve asked.   
“No,” Mark said. Steve felt some worry beginning to fill his head.   
“What’s wrong?” Mark asked.   
Steve leaned back on the bed. “You once said army guys aren’t your type. Or blondes, and maybe thought I looked like I couldn’t hold a conversation with you. Is it true?” Steve asked.  
Mark sat there silently for a while, and Steve felt the anxiety increase in his mind. “So it is true,” Steve said in defeat.   
“No, it's not true. Well, not all of it. I don’t normally go for blondes or army guys. And I am shocked I sounded like such an asshole to you really,” Mark said turning to look at Steve. “Sorry, all the lessons I learned in life are gone as well. Least I think so, it's been really confusing for me,” Mark said.   
“So I am different than what you normally go for?” Steve asked.   
“You are, but the weird part is the emotions I feel. I spent some time in here looking for something that would make sense. The pieces to the puzzle that make me feel this way. I don’t know if I found any,” Mark said.   
Steve felt some sadness as he sat up, “Well I am here, I can help,” Steve said. Mark smiled at Steve and Steve loved seeing that smile. “Do you have any clue as to what the pieces could be?”  
“No clue,” Mark said allowing some silence in the room. Steve felt his nerve kick in and began to fidget a little as he sat there. Mark noticed Steve fidget and began to laugh.   
“Sorry, I am still really nervous. This whole situation makes me feel like I am trying to convince you why you have these emotions toward me,” Steve said.   
“I get it,” Mark said standing up and walking over to the dresser. “But you also have to remember we had been through things, and I don’t remember them. Maybe we should treat this as a first date,” Mark said putting the dog tags back on the dresser.   
“Well, umm if we did, I wouldn’t have you back here on the first date,” Steve said blushing.   
Mark laughed, “I don’t mean like that, Steve,” Mark said turning and leaning against the dresser. “Tell me how we have been as a couple. What draws you to me, maybe. It might help.”  
Steve thought for a moment as he sat there. There was so much he wanted to tell Mark, but it would overwhelm the entire situation. He needed to summarize it.   
“Well, you are the first person to really protect me. Even when you lost your powers, you were always able to be the one to protect me. Everyone else in this house would say you were the person who brought out my personality. They see Steve Rogers again. I never question things around you, no matter what I did, you always responded with a smile and happiness. I am not sure how to explain that feeling. I felt free to just be, and you enjoyed it. You also have a crazy side especially when you and Andrea are together. Tony and I would laugh about it, but you two always bring the fun to our lives, and there is never a dull moment when the two of you are around. I guess it really comes down to me… finally being able to be me and you caring about that person and accepting me. You always paid attention to things about me and showed me new experiences in life by knowing exactly what I would like. I could go on,” Steve said.   
Mark stood there taking in all the information. Steve felt he babbled a little while he spoke. “Was that too much?” Steve asked.   
Mark looked up and smiled, “No, it just puts more pressure on me I guess.”  
Steve stood up, “I didn’t mean to put pressure on you. I just wanted to help.” Mark put his hand up so Steve would stop. “It’s pressure to figure it out. From the way you spoke, you really care about me. I get it. The emotions you tried to explain I feel inside I think. You have the context to them, I don’t. Imagine how that would be if you felt those things without reason,” Mark explained.   
Steve paused and thought for a moment. “It’s hard to do it, but I think I get it. It explains why you acted the way you have so far,” Steve said.   
“And no closer to answers for me,” Mark said with a sigh. Mark looked over at the nightstand. “I didn’t notice this before,” Mark said with curiosity as he walked over to the nightstand. Mark picked up the book, and Steve felt nervous Mark holding his sketchbook. “What is this?” Mark asked.   
“It’s my sketchbook. You actually got me that one, as a surprise,” Steve said.   
“You draw?” Mark asked.   
Steve nodded, “Only for myself, but you always supported it. You got me that sketchbook and art supplies,” Steve went over the to the nightstand and opened the drawer. Steve pulled out a note and handed it to Mark. “You wrote that,” Steve said.   
Mark grabbed the note and read it. “You brighten my life,” Mark said out loud. “Wow, how did you not break up with me for being so cheesy?” Mark asked. Steve grabbed the note and put it back in the drawer. “It's not cheesy, it was something I thought I did for you. I really thought you were the one who made my life better, but you always found a way to let me know it was me who did it for you,” Steve said.   
Mark gave a look at Steve, which showed Mark still stood by his statement. “It was not that cheesy,” Steve said as he pushed Mark lightly. Mark laughed as he sat on the bed. Mark looked at the sketchbook and put his hand on it. “So sketching, not something I would expect. What else?” Mark asked.   
“What else?” Steve repeated back in confusion.   
“About you. Things I don’t know. I mean something has to fit into the puzzle,” Mark said as he sat comfortably on the bed. Steve had no idea what could help make Mark remember something. Steve looked around the room and saw something which might help. Steve went over to the side of the room and grabbed his shield. “Here,” Steve said handing Mark his shield.   
“Your shield?” Mark asked raising an eyebrow.   
“Just grab it, and you will understand,” Steve said.   
Mark sighed and grabbed the shield. As soon as Mark’s hand touched the shield, his eyes went wide. Mark stared at the shield and held it with both hands. Steve smiled, he knew this would help. Mark ran his hand across Steve’s shield. Mark looked up at Steve. “How?” Mark asked.   
“Thought that would help. You told me a story once,” Steve said as he sat next to Mark. “You met me long ago before I became Captain America. You saw me without the super soldier serum, and you saw something in me. You said it was a fire, determination, courage, and thought I was still attractive even though I was short and nowhere near what I look like now. Tony’s father, Howard Stark, asked you to make the shield. You wanted to meet the person who would get it before you agreed to it after meeting me. You said you always held an attraction for me based on what you saw. And then we met here as Avengers many years later. You told me the story and always saw me as that person before I became Captain America,” Steve explained.   
Mark rested the shield on his lap. “You know, anyone else would think you are crazy with that story,” Mark said raising an eyebrow.   
“Yeah, but you told me once when you make a weapon, a part of you is always there. I know you lost your powers, but I thought you could feel that part still. I think you do,” Steve said with a smile.   
Mark looked down at the shield and ran his hand across it again. “I do, I… didn’t think I would tell someone that part,” Mark said.   
“Well,” Steve began, “you told me.” Steve sat there next to Mark for a while. Then Steve felt Mark grab his hand. Steve felt the warmth of Mark as they sat there.   
“Did this help?” Steve asked.   
“I am holding your hand, aren’t eye?” Mark replied with a smile. Steve laughed and rested his head on Mark’s shoulder. Steve did this without thinking and quickly picked his head up. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”   
“It’s okay,” Mark said cutting Steve off. “I am done fighting the emotions. It felt nice and almost something I expected,” Mark said.   
Steve smiled and leaned in to kiss Mark. Steve didn’t expect Mark to turn his head away. “I thought you said you weren’t fighting your emotions?” Steve asked sitting back in defeat.   
“I’m not fighting them to protect me anymore, but I backed away to protect you,” Mark said.   
“What do you mean?” Steve asked confused.   
Mark sighed and unbuttoned his shirt. Mark showed Steve the scratches from Madame Hydra. “We analyzed the poison. It flows through my body and increases in toxicity each day. It’s in my body, I don’t want you to get it,” Mark said.   
Steve leaned in close to see the wound. It showed three black scratches and Mark’s veins around the cut were black and the darkness seemed to be spreading. “When did this happen?” Steve asked.   
“The night you were shot. I went rogue in Hydra. I stole their plans and the poison Madame Hydra is using to control Bucky. Madame Hydra said she holds an antidote and expects me to return for it,” Mark explained.   
“You are not going back there. We need Andrea and Tony to find a cure. Maybe even S.H.I.E.L.D. can help,” Steve said in a stern voice as he stood up to run to the others but felt Mark pulling him back still holding his hand.  
“Steve, what do you think they have been doing? It’s a complex poison. They are working tirelessly to find a cure. They found ways to slow it down, and Andrea has me testing my blood toxicity constantly, but we might need to go back there,” Mark said.   
“We?” Steve asked as he sat down.   
“I told you, I am not fighting things anymore. I can’t do this alone,” Mark said with a smile.   
Steve leaned in and hugged Mark. Steve felt Mark rest his head on Steve’s shoulder. It felt nice to hug Mark again, Steve didn’t want to let go. “I will help in any way I can,” Steve said.   
“I know,” Mark said. Then Mark leaned back and stood up.   
“Where are you going?” Steve asked.   
“I told you, Andrea has me checking my blood constantly. It's about time for me to check it again,” Mark said walking over to the door. Mark paused for a moment at the dresser and looked at an iPod and headphones.   
“You know those are yours. You should take them. You always wore them where ever you went,” Steve said. Mark picked up the headphones and iPod. “Thanks,” Mark said as he put them in his pocket and walked to the door.   
Mark reached for the door when Steve said, “Mark?” Mark turned around and looked at Steve, “Yeah?”  
Steve felt anxiety seeing Mark at the door about to leave again. “You said you are filling in the pieces to the puzzle, what did you figure out?” Steve asked.   
Mark smiled, “How about I tell you once the whole puzzle is filled in?”  
“Deal,” Steve said smiling. Mark turned back around. “Also…” Steve began. Mark sighed, “Are you not letting me leave?” Mark asked.   
Steve looked down when Mark looked at him. “I am. You…You will be back right?”  
Steve didn’t look up from the ground. He felt dumb just asking the question. Then suddenly Steve felt arms around him. Steve looked up and saw he was being hugged by Mark. “I will.” Steve hugged Mark back. “Thanks,” Steve said. Even with his memory, gone Mark knew when Steve needed a hug or some reassurance. Steve felt Mark let go, and he watched Mark leave the room. Steve sat there wondering what the puzzle would look like when it was filled in. Steve reached for his shield and remembered the story Mark told him. Would he ever be his little warrior again?


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36  
Andrea  
Andrea kept researching the sample Tony got from Mark. She compared every known poison in databases across the world she could access, even a few she had to hack. She felt like the search was becoming bleaker as time went on. Tony was busy studying the schematics of the tanks looking for weaknesses in the armor. Hydra did a good job of taking Stark Industry technology and making it impenetrable. Tony was beginning to kick himself for being so good at his job. Andrea felt like this whole effort was pointless, they weren’t getting anywhere, and they had been working for two days now. What more could they do?  
Andrea let out a scream and put her head on her desk. “This seems pointless. We are not any closer to finding any answers,” Andrea said in frustration.   
“We need to keep trying,” Tony said looking up from the schematics. “There has to be something we are missing.”  
Andrea looked over at Tony but didn’t lift her head. “What could we be missing. I mean if you can’t find a weak point in the robotics and I can’t find anything in any system on this damn poison, what do we do?” Andrea asked.   
“We come up with a different plan,” Andrea heard from behind her. Andrea lifted her head and turned around to see Mark standing there. “It’s time to check the toxicity,” Mark reminded Andrea.   
“Right,” Andrea said grabbing the monitor on her desk and a needle to prick Mark’s hand.   
“So what’s the struggle?” Mark asked.   
“We are getting nowhere,” Andrea said as she grabbed Mark’s hand. She stabbed him with the needle.   
“Ow, no reason to take the anger out on me,” Mark said looking at a deeper cut than normal.   
“Sorry,” Andrea said as he touched the scanner to Mark’s blood. “It will take a few seconds to read,” Andrea said as she walked back to the computer.   
“So we can’t find the poison in me. I’m not surprised. Madame Hydra was confident when she hit me that I would be back. My guess is it’s a complex poison that she made, and only she has the antidote,” Mark said following Andrea.   
Andrea sighed, “I think you’re right. Tony ran its composition through his computer, and it was weird. It had too many variables. She mixed something in her lab, probably a poison she spent a while making.”  
Mark nodded, “And my guess is it was specifically made for someone like me, or even Bucky if he broke through her mind control serum.”  
“Speaking of,” Andrea said walking over to a cooling system and pulled out two vials. “We were only able to make two doses. It’s a complex protein, but it’s the cure to the mind control poison or whatever.”   
“So we only have two shots to get Bucky back. This will complicate things a bit,” Mark said. Andrea looked at Mark, and she recognized that look he had.   
“You have a plan?” Andrea asked.   
“Putting one together. Some things we need to figure out. From the looks of it, I need to head back to Hydra for the antidote. But when I go back, we are taking out Hydra once and for all,” Mark said.   
“I like this plan, so what do you got so far?” Andrea asked.   
Mark looked over at Tony, who had the schematics in front of him. “Well you already got the first part done, we have the antidote for Bucky. But we need to plan strategically. Madame Hydra has been one step ahead of us this whole time. She is a good chess player, but she is going to learn I am better,” Mark said looking at the schematic.   
“It’s pointless. I built these things with no faults. I should have made a fail-safe switch or something, but it’s as guarded as my Iron Man suit,” Tony explained in frustration as he slid the schematics to Mark. Mark looked down at the plans.  
“As secure as your Iron Man suits huh? If I recall, I was able to break into it and give you a bit of trouble before,” Mark said raising an eyebrow.   
Tony crossed his arms, “And since then I built it stronger so you couldn’t do that anymore. You can try, but we both know what the result would be,” Tony said smugly.   
“Yeah, you would go down by my hand,” Mark said with a smile. Andrea couldn’t help but laugh at Mark’s banter with Tony. She missed hearing Mark win all arguments against Tony, she would have to comfort Tony and let him think he won later.   
“So if you think you can find a flaw in my plans, let me know,” Tony said challenging Mark.   
“I already did,” Mark said. Tony stood up and slid the schematics back over to him to look at them.   
“Where?” Tony shouted.   
“Right here,” Mark said pointing at the middle of the tank. Tony looked up and raised an eyebrow. “I don’t get it,” Tony said.   
“These tanks need a commander, like your Iron Man suit. How capable do you think they really are? They can study all they want to learn how to fly these things, but they are the major flaw we can extort to win this fight,” Mark said.   
“So if I understand you correctly, you are saying since they are not as good as I am, we can use that to our advantage,” Tony said looking at Andrea. Andrea rolled her eyes at Tony.   
“Something like that,” Mark said. Mark looked at the schematic again. “Whats the cooling system for the Ion Cannon?” Mark asked.   
“It’s tamper proof, we can't do anything to it on the outside of it. If the system thinks something tampered with it on the outside, it won’t allow it to fire,” Tony said.   
Andrea walked forward and looked at the schematic, “What about if someone tampers with it on the inside or with the system?”   
Tony’s eyes went bright with the idea, “Then we could have it overload and cause it to explode. That would work too.”  
“How would we do that?” Mark asked.   
Andrea smiled and blinked her eyes to show the neon green of her hacking system. “I can get in. The soldiers are dumb like you said and won’t know the complexities of the cooling system. If I set it to not cool the cannon, it would overheat and boom, no more cannon,” Andrea said.   
“So we have a plan on taking them down. We can get to the soldiers beforehand, and we can overload those cannons. We still have an army to face there, though. And we will need a way to get to Bucky,” Mark said putting his hand to his chin.   
“You’re not going alone in there,” Everyone heard from the stairs. They turned to see Steve walking down into the lab. “We are coming with you, you know that.”  
“At this point in time, I don’t think I could stop any of you. But we can’t go rushing into the warehouse. We have to be smart about it. Who else do we have on the team?” Mark asked.   
“Black Widow and Hawkeye,” Steve said.   
“Who?” Mark asked.   
“The guy who shoots arrows and the spy lady who is sleeping with him,” Andrea said.   
“Oh, okay. Thanks,” Mark said. Tony and Steve both looked at Andrea.   
“What? He lost his memory, it’s the best way to describe the two of them,” Andrea said walking over to the table next to Tony.   
“You do bring up a good point,” Tony said. Andrea smiled, it was her way of saying ‘I know, Tony.’   
“So what’s the plan?” Steve asked walking over to them.   
“Well, we have all the parts here. I know how to get the antidote for me, we have the antidote for Bucky, we know how to take down the tanks. Now we just need to be a few steps ahead of Madame Hydra, and we can contain this fight and win it,” Mark explained.   
“Okay, how do we do that?” Tony asked.   
“We will need stealth first. Madame Hydra knew I would be back for the antidote. I led the tanks and soldiers away from the city, so they don’t think I am here. Not to mention they scanned the city, and that’s why it took me longer than planned to get here,’ Mark said.   
“How much longer?” Steve asked. Andrea looked at Tony showing hand gestures for Mark to not say. Mark didn’t see Tony.   
“A day. No big deal,” Mark said looking back down at the table. Andrea never saw Steve so angry before. Steve crossed his arms and glared at Tony.   
“You are in trouble,” Andrea whispered.   
“Me? You didn’t tell him either,” Tony said to Andrea in a low voice.   
“Yeah but I didn’t tell him two days, you did,” Andrea said back.   
“You guys do know he has enhanced hearing right? Even I can hear you talk about how Tony lied to Steve,” Mark said. Tony already went on the defensive and began to defend himself as Steve stepped toward him. Andrea just tilted her head curiously at Mark, he told her he would be back in two days. Mark just looked up at Andrea smiling. He gave a wink. Andrea smiled back at him and turned to Tony.   
“Oh Tony, just admit you got caught lying to Steve,” Andrea said. Tony looked over to Andrea in shock and saw her smiling then he turned to Mark and saw him smiling.   
“I can’t believe it. Even with him losing his memories, you both can still act like you never were separated. This is insane,” Tony said in defeat.   
“Maybe some things can’t be separated by things like that,” Mark said looking up at Steve. Andrea watched as their eyes met and Steve smiled. She couldn’t help but smile at how true the statement felt.   
“Well enough fighting, we need to plan this attack. Get the others, Steve. We need to figure out how much…” Mark cut off when the machine went off to read the toxicity of his blood. Andrea turned to look at the machine and forgot for a moment the poison existed in Mark’s blood. She walked over and read the results. Andrea felt her face go white.   
“Steve go get the others. We will need a plan of attack for tonight,” Mark said. Steve nodded his head and left the lab. Mark walked over to Andrea, Tony followed.   
“How bad is it?” Tony asked.   
“It reads seventy-eight percent. It shot up drastically from the last reading, maybe it’s a mistake,” Andrea said.   
“It’s not,” Mark said looking at her. “I feel the symptoms getting worse and the pain. I didn’t think it was possible, but this reading shows I don’t have much time. We need to attack tonight,” Mark said.   
“What else do you need for your plan?” Tony asked.   
“Can you get a development plan of the warehouses? We need to plan our positions,” Mark said.   
“On it,” Tony said as he went over to his computer. Andrea looked at Mark and knew he was planning more than he was saying.   
“You can't do this on your own, and I know you are planning something,” Andrea whispered to Mark.   
“You’re right on both accounts,” Mark said as he thought more. “But if this works we all will make it out okay.”  
“Well, I am in, what’s the plan?” Andrea asked. Mark looked over at Tony and then to Andrea. “Alright, here is the plan.”


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37  
Mark  
“Everyone in place?” Mark asked over the Comlink.   
“Yeah I just got into position, I will wait for things to begin,” Natasha said.   
“Lucinda and I are in place,” Tony confirmed.   
“I am ready and taking aim, I will be ready when it begins,” Clint said.   
“Alright,” Mark said as he looked over at Steve. Steve looked the most nervous about the plan. “You okay?” Mark asked.   
“I’m not, last time we took down Hydra’s plan, you lost your memories completely, and I lost you for months. I don’t want to lose you again,” Steve said. Mark reached out and grabbed Steve’s hand. Steve looked down and then up to Mark. Steve smiled.   
“You won’t, this plan will work. We will all make it out safely, and you will have Bucky back on our side. Just stick to the plan, alright?” Mark said.   
Steve nodded as Mark let go of his hand. Mark stepped forward to the edge of the roof, he paused for a moment. Mark began to wonder if he should feel worried. Steve was the one who held all of their memories, and Steve looked scared. Mark shouldn’t be so blunt with Steve, added that Mark felt horrible making Steve so worried. Mark turned back around and hugged Steve.   
“What’s this for?” Steve said bracing himself for the hug.   
“Are you complaining?” Mark asked.   
“No just…I don’t know. It’s unexpected,” Steve said as he squeezed Mark in the hug.   
“I’m not fighting my emotions anymore remember. I needed to hug you before I left. That’s it, Steve,” Mark said. Steve hugged him back.   
“I don’t want to lose this, ever,” Steve whispered to Mark.   
“We won’t,” Mark said as he let go of Steve.   
“Alright, I’m heading in,” Mark said over the Comlink. Steve was still smiling as Mark turned and jumped down from the roof. Mark landed on the ground and slowly stood up. Mark walked down the rows of warehouses, Staring at the one which housed Hydra. Mark was about twenty feet away as the warehouse doors opened. Mark paused in his steps as he waited for the door to fully open.   
There standing in the middle was Madame Hydra. She stood there with a smile on her face and a hand on her hip.   
“I said you would return. No luck finding an antidote?” Madame Hydra asked.   
“Nope, you forced my hand, I needed to return. So do you have it?” Mark asked. Mark looked around the inside. He could see the tanks in the back sitting there inactive. Then he saw Bucky emerged from the side, Madame Hydra was planning Mark would come with reinforcements.   
“I have it on me, I am not going to let your friends sneak in and steal it. Or were you dumb enough to come here on your own? Either way, you will lose this fight,” Madame Hydra said.   
“We will see,” Mark said as he walked forward. He remained calm as he approached Madame Hydra.   
“Not going to draw your sword?” Madame Hydra asked Mark.   
“What’s the point? You said it yourself, I needed to come back for the antidote. Wouldn’t fighting right now mean my death?” Mark asked.   
Madame Hydra’s smile grew larger, “Smart man.”  
“But that would also mean my death ruins your plan to kill Captain America, so we both need one another right now it seems. Don’t act like you have complete power over this situation,” Mark said as he walked forward. Mark saw a soldier ready his weapon, Mark froze in place. Mark stood there for a while then Madame Hydra gestured for the soldier to lower his weapon.   
“You might be right, but your death would bring him great pain,” Madame Hydra said.   
“But it would mean you failed. You are not a woman who accepts failure,” Mark said as he stepped forward. Mark kept looking at the soldiers, he needed an opening.   
“I will call it improvising in this certain situation, so you want this?” Madame Hydra said as she held a vial up.   
“Yes,” Mark said as he threw a dagger at the soldier with a gun. Mark ran in, and this was the signal. Mark jumped over the soldiers and grabbed a grenade off of the table. Mark threw it into one of the tanks, and seconds later a large blast fame from it. “One down,” Mark said turning to see the guns pointed at him.   
“You came ill-prepared I see,” Madame Hydra said. Then an arrow landed near her.   
“Oh did I?” Mark asked raising an eyebrow. Madame Hydra ran from the arrow, and it went off. The blast sent soldiers flying, Mark took cover behind a table as he looked around.   
“Keep it up, I’m fine,” Mark said on the Comlink. Mark saw more soldiers being hit by arrows. Mark then ran to one of the tanks. Before he could make it to the second one, Bucky cut him off.   
“Great,” Mark said. He drew his sword, and it was soon a fight between him and Bucky. Bucky lunged forward, and Mark blocked the hit. Mark kicked Bucky back, but it only briefly stunned Bucky. Bucky came in, and Lucinda came in kicking Bucky down.   
“Need help?” Andrea asked.   
“Good timing, I could only get one tank, though,” Mark said.   
“That’s what we counted for,” Andrea said. “You got that, Iron Man?” Andrea said over the come link.   
“Got it, I will take out one from here,” Tony confirmed. Tony came flying in and aimed the repulse beams inside one of the tanks. He blasted it, and it went down and exploded in half.   
“That’s two,” Mark said. Mark turned to see two soldiers getting into the other tanks. “Iron Man, we got live ones,” Mark shouted. Tony turned to see the tanks aiming at him. One shot a missile, and Iron Man blocked the hit, but it sent him flying out of the building. One tank went flying out of the building and the second was following.   
“Black Widow, you’re up? The second one is coming out,” Mark shouted on the Comlink.   
“On it,” Natasha confirmed, and she jumped, landing on the second tank.   
“Let’s hope she can get inside,” Mark said to Andrea.   
“On your left,” Andrea shouted. Mark dodged and saw the whip from Madame Hydra just missing him. Andrea and Mark looked down to see the poison marks on the floor from the whip.   
“You said you came alone!” Madame Hydra said.   
“No, you just assumed I did,” Mark said preparing for a fight. Andrea took a stance next to Mark ready as well. Madame Hydra sent her whip out, Mark and Andrea dodged easily. Madame Hydra made sure to keep the fight at long distance for them. They couldn’t get close to her. Mark dodged right to avoid a hit, then slashed his sword down on the whip.   
“Now,” Mark shouted. Andrea jumped down and hit her baton to the whip sending an electrical charge through it. Madame Hydra felt the charge, and it sent her backward into the table.   
“That was easy,” Adrea said.   
Andrea and Mark walked over to Madame Hydra. They could see she was bleeding from the mouth. She opened her eyes and looked at them.   
“Don’t think this is over yet,” Madame Hydra said. Bucky came in and kicked Andrea to the side. Andrea slid on the ground and tumbled before she gained her footing again. Bucky came at Mark and began attacking with quick punches. Mark dodged a few and blocked others, he felt weaker from the poison, though, and he couldn’t keep up with Bucky. Bucky landed two hits on Mark's chest. One of the punches hit Mark where Madame Hydra cut him, he grabbed the area in pain. Mark fell to the ground in pain. He felt it through his body, the poison was going to a hundred percent soon. Mark heard Madame Hydra laughing.   
“Feel that? That’s you at death’s doorstep. How does it feel? Like a million daggers hitting you at once? I made sure this poison made all the nerves in your body go off before it completed its effects. I am sure it's hard to see now,” Madame Hydra said as she walked closer to Mark.   
Madame Hydra was right. Mark could see his vision beginning to blur and even fading to black periodically.   
“All you need to do is ask, and the cure is yours,” Madame Hydra said holding the vial.   
Andrea came running in when Madame Hydra held the vial in her hand. Andrea swiped down with her baton, but Madame Hydra dodged. Bucky came in, and Andrea blocked his hit sending her backward. Then a shield came flying in at Bucky. Bucky blocked, but the hit sent him a few steps backward before the shield returned to Captain America.   
“Perfect, you’re here,” Madame Hydra said as she stepped closer to Mark. “Just ask, and the antidote is yours,” Madame Hydra whispered in Mark’s ear.   
Captain America ran forward to attack Madame Hydra, but Bucky cut him off. Captain America blocked a punch from Bucky with his shield and then swung it at Bucky’s side. Bucky dodged and punched Captain America in the face sending him to the ground. Bucky then kicked Captain America, and he rolled over to where Andrea stood. Andrea kneeled near Captain America.   
“You okay?” Andrea asked.   
“No, they are too close to Mark,” Captain America said as he stood up. Bucky was ready for their attack.   
“They are going to lose. Sure they could take Bucky down, but if I join the fight, my poison will kill them both. Just asked for the antidote,” Madame Hydra said. Mark turned his head and could barely see Andrea and Steve fighting against Bucky. Both could take him down, but they were struggling. Bucky blocked the hits from Andrea and hit Captain America in the chest. Mark couldn’t stand to see those two getting hurt.   
Mark stood up slowly. “Alright. Can I have the Antidote?” Mark asked. He could only see a blur of what he assumed was Madame Hydra. He felt her put something in his hand.   
“Can I trust this will cure me?” Mark asked.   
“Do you have a choice?” Madame Hydra asked.   
Mark sighed. He opened the vial and drank the contents. His vision slowly returned to him.   
“You’re mine now,” Madame Hydra said. Bucky stopped attacking Captain America and Lucinda. He stepped back to Madame Hydra. Mark was frozen, and finally, the empty vial fell out of his hands and smashed on the floor.   
“What’s going on?” Captain America asked.   
“He got his cure. He drank a vial full of the antidote and spiked with a little of my mind control poison. You lost this one Captain America,” Madame Hydra said as he wrapped her arm around Mark. Madame Hydra grabbed Marks face and brought her face close to his. “He is mine now.”  
“No,” Andrea shouted. Captain America looked over to Andrea. “You have a plan right?” Captain America asked.   
Andrea reached to her belt and pulled out a syringe. Andra held it up and then it was shattered. Captain America and Andrea looked to see Mark threw a dagger shattering the syringe.   
“I had a plan, now I don’t,” Andrea said.   
Madame Hydra laughed. “This worked out better than I planned. All hope is lost for you Captain America. Your lover and your best friend will be the ones to take you down,” Madame Hydra said as Mark and Bucky took a stand in front of her.   
“Now,” Madame Hydra began, “Kill them.”


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38  
Steve  
Steve lifted his shield to block a hit coming down from Mark. Steve stepped back as he continued to block the hits. Andrea was on the attack against Bucky. He swung, but she stepped back to dodge and hit him with a barrage of strikes from her batons then kicked him. Steve did not think he could do the same to Mark, but he needed to do something to save Mark and Bucky now.   
“Lucinda, where is the second vial of antidote?” Steve asked her.   
“Where do you think Cap?” Andrea replied back.   
Steve froze realizing Mark held the second vial. Then a punch caught Steve off guard. Steve tried to block with his shield but was hit in the chest and fell to the ground and rolled to avoid more hits. Steve stopped and looked up, Mark was running at him then Mark turned his head jumping to the side. Andrea came in and swung her baton to stop Mark in his tracks. She got his attention.   
“Why don’t we switch?” Andrea said.   
“Good idea,” Steve said as he got up and charged at Bucky. It was still tough to fight his friend, but at least Steve could put up a fight against Bucky. Steve blocked a punch from Bucky and deflected upward with his shield, coming in low with a punch to the gut. Steve then punched Bucky in the face then sent him flying with a kick.   
“This is pointless, You can’t win against both of them,” Madame Hydra said standing there laughing as Andre and Steve fought against Mark and Bucky.   
“Cap, we need to buy time until the others take out the tanks. Then we can stand a chance,” Andrea shouted.   
“Right,” Steve said and charged at Bucky when he got up. Steve exchanged punch after punch with Bucky. Bucky was a soldier as well with the super soldier serum in him. It would be tough to take him out. Steve was worried how Andrea was fairing against Mark. It looked like they were each blocking the other’s attack. Steve let his guard down, and Bucky came in with a punch to the face, while Steve was dazed, Bucky hit him two more times in the side, and Steve went down.   
“Cap!” Andrea said as she looked over. Mark grabbed Andrea’s arm, but she broke free and grabbed him instead and spun him, sending him flying into Bucky. Mark crashed into Bucky, and both went into the tables.   
“Troublesome girl,” Madame Hydra said stepping forward.   
“Uh oh, I made someone mad,” Andrea said as she readied herself. Bucky stood up first, and slowly Mark stood up behind Bucky.   
“Kill her first. You both can easily take her out then you can kill Captain America,” Madame Hydra commanded.   
“Not good,” Andrea said as he batons lite with electricity.   
“No,” Steve said from the ground he fought to stand up, but Bucky hit him pretty hard, he was sure he had a broken rib. Steve stood up and held his shield up ready to defend Andrea.   
Bucky prepared to charge them both, and so did Mark.   
“Kill her,” Madame Hydra said, but before Bucky could move, Mark grabbed him and stabbed him with a syringe. Bucky screamed and then fell to the ground.   
“Got ya,” Mark said.   
Steve was more confused than ever right now, and so was Madame Hydra as she looked in horror at what just happened.   
“How?...You were under my control!” Madame Hydra shouted.   
“No I was one step ahead of you,” Mark said as he gently put Bucky to the ground. Mark formed a sword in his hand and readied himself to attack Madame Hydra.   
“But how?” Madame Hydra said as she slowly stepped back.   
“Do you really think that was a serum I was holding in my hands when Mark smashed it?” Andrea asked as she stepped forward. Steve looked at Andrea, who knew what was going on.   
“It wasn’t?” Steve asked.   
“Course not,” Andrea said. “It was saline in the syringe. Mark had taken the second antidote before we got here.”  
“I would be an idiot not to think you would take the antidote as a way to slip in some mind control poison,” Mark said stepping closer. “But we needed this to be believable.”  
“So he only told me,” Andrea said to Steve. “Sorry.”  
Steve looked from Andrea to Mark. They planned this whole thing. Mark was one step ahead of Madame Hydra, and he said if they all followed the plan they would make it out alive. He knew they won before the battle even begun.  
Steve held his shield firm as he stepped forward. Then one of the tanks landed outside of the warehouse.   
Madame Hydra laughed, “It’s not over yet. Blast them all. Kill them!” Madame Hydra commanded the tank. The tank just stood there facing everyone. Madame Hydra looked more furious with each passing second.   
“Did you hear me? Kill them!” Madame Hydra shouted again. The hatch opened, and Steve saw Natasha exit the tank.   
“Yeah about that, not going to happen,” Natasha said sitting on the tank.   
Madame Hydra began to look around trying to find an escape.   
“It’s over, admit it. You lost,” Mark said.   
“I will admit nothing,” Madame Hydra said, and Steve saw her reach for something. Steve ran toward Mark when he saw Madame Hydra throw a dagger at him. Steve shielded Mark but took the dagger in the shoulder blade.   
“If I can’t kill you at least I know I could kill Captain America,” Madame Hydra shouted as she ran.   
“Steve!” Mark said as he caught Steve before he hit the ground. Andrea ran over, and Natasha jumped down from the tank. Steve looked up at Mark.   
“So I finally get to be the one to protect you,” Steve said to Mark.   
“Steve don't talk, it’s a strong poison. Your super soldier serum should slow it down,” Mark said as Adrea pulled the dagger out from Steve. Steve winced at the pain.   
“Sorry,” Andrea said as she threw the dagger to the side.   
Steve reached for Mark’s hand and held it. Mark looked down at Steve. “I’m going to get her for this,” Mark said.   
“But what do we do now?” Natasha said looking at Mark and Andrea. Andrea looked at Mark. Steve could see Mark panicking at trying to figure this out. Steve looked over to Bucky, who was slowly moving.   
“Bucky…” Steve said.   
“What?” Mark said looking over to Bucky. “Bucky! Wake him up. He should know where Madame Hydra has her poisons and antidotes. Show him the dagger, he might know what she put on it. If not we might need to try multiple antidotes on him.”  
Natasha ran over to Bucky and woke him up. Bucky was rubbing his head and looked over to see everyone else. “Steve!” Bucky shouted as he got up and ran over to them.   
“Madame Hydra hit him with this dagger. Any idea where the antidote is?” Andrea asked.   
“Yeah, but we need to get him there quickly. That poison is usually an instant killer. His super soldier serum is slowing it down, but he doesn’t have much time,” Bucky said. Natasha and Andrea helped Mark lift Steve.   
“Okay so that’s the plan,” Mark said as he handed Steve to Bucky. “You get him the antidote, I’m going for Madame Hydra.”   
Steve held Mark’s hand tighter. “Steve, I need to stop her. They will make sure your safe. I will be back. I promise,” Mark said.   
“I’m not losing you again,” Steve said.   
“Steve we will lose her…” Mark began.   
“I’m not letting you go! Not again,” Steve shouted as he looked down. “I am not losing you again,” Steve said almost whispering.   
Mark stood there holding Steve’s hand. “Steve…I…”  
“You won’t,” Andrea cut in. Steve looked over at Andrea. “He isn’t going alone, I am going with him. This hooker won’t leave us again, trust me,” Andrea said.   
Steve looked at Andrea and saw the intensity in her eyes. She meant every word she said. Slowly, Steve let go of Mark’s hand.   
“Alright, if you're coming, let’s go,” Mark said as he and Andrea ran off.   
“Please don’t lose him, Andrea,” Steve said as he watched Mark and Andrea run in the same direction Madame Hydra went. Natasha grabbed Steve’s empty hand and helped lift him up.   
“Okay, which way?” Natasha asked as Bucky led the way to the office. Bucky helped carry Steve up the stairs. Once in, Buck went to a safe and broke the door off of it with his metal arm. Bucky searched through the vials and pulled one out.   
“This should be it,” Bucky said handing it to Natasha. Natasha quickly opened the vial and held Steve’s head. “Get ready to drink,” Natasha said as she poured the vial into Steve’s mouth. Steve felt the liquid run down his throat. The pain began to lighten. Soon, Steve could hold himself up.   
“Oh thank god, I don’t know what Mark would have done if we grabbed the wrong vial,” Natasha said as she stood up. “You still should rest. Bucky made it seem like that poison could do some serious damage,” Natasha looked at Bucky. “Watch him while I get the others.”  
Steve sat down on the floor letting the antidote kick in more.   
“So,” Bucky began, “Your current lover saved our lives. After Hydra brainwashed me to be with you for over two years, you left me for him. I tried to kill him infront of you and got locked up. I break out and all this happened… kind of makes things awkward now.”  
Steve laughed, “Bucky you are my best friend. We will get through this.”  
“I hope,” Bucky said looking at Steve. “You really care for him.”  
“More than anything,” Steve said. Bucky looked out the door, “I hope he gets back okay. Even without his memories, he put everything on the line for you.”  
“He did. If he doesn’t come back, then Andrea will kick his ass for me,” Steve said with a smile.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39  
Andrea  
Andrea kept pace with Mark really well as they ran past all the warehouses. They stopped after running for about ten minutes. They both looked around from where they stood.   
“Where do you think she went?” Andrea asked.   
“Don’t know, she couldn’t have gotten far,” Mark said. Then the warehouse behind them began to open. Andrea felt her arm being pulled as Mark dragged her to the side to avoid being seen. The warehouse doors opened, and they could only see a flash of light coming from in it. Out walked another tank.   
“I thought you said there was only four,” Andrea said to Mark.  
“I counted four, this one was hidden. Come on,” Mark said as he pulled Andrea more to the side to be hidden from sight. They both watched as the tank began to hover and then soon it was off.   
“Where is she going?” Andrea asked.   
Mark and Andrea stepped forward as their eyes followed the flight pattern.   
“She is going straight to the city,” Mark said.   
“There is a hospital in that direction. A big one,” Andrea said.   
“Shit,” Mark said as he ran into the warehouse.   
“I can get Tony, he can head it off,”  
“But he can’t stop it,” Mark said cutting Andrea off.   
“Well no one else is close enough to help, what do we do?” Andrea asked.   
Mark and Andrea looked around the warehouse, and both rested their eyes on the motorcycle. Then they both looked at one another.   
“Looks like we are going for a little ride,” Mark said.   
Mark pulled out the motorcycles, and Andrea quickly opened it up, finding the needed wires easily. She started the motorcycle.   
“So what’s the plan when we catch up to Madame Hydra?” Andre asked.   
Mark hopped on the motorcycle and Andrea climbed on behind him.   
“We are going to bring her down,” Mark said. And soon they spread off in the direction of the tank. The tank flew but was slower than the other tanks at the warehouse. Andrea looked ahead and caught sight of the tank, and it soon was in clear view   
“So how do we stop it?” Andrea asked.   
Andrea waited for a while, she knew Mark was thinking of a plan still. Finally, he broke the silence. “Ready to do something incredibly stupid?” Mark asked.   
“Not particularly, but something tells me I have no other choice in the matter,” Andrea said back.   
“We don’t. I don’t know if we will make it out of this one,” Mark shouted.   
“That doesn’t surprise me. Usually, your last minute plans involved a dance with death,” Andrea said.   
“Sucks I lost my memories, I sound pretty awesome,” Mark said.   
“If you weren’t driving I would smack you in the head right now. Lucky for you, I don’t like crashing. Speed up,” Andrea said as she gestured for Mark to go faster.   
“Alright,” Mark said as he put more weight on the accelerator. Andrea held tight as she felt the force from the speed. Soon she saw the tank in front of them.   
“What now?” Andrea asked.   
“How close do you need to be to hack it?” Mark asked.   
“This should be good, I am on it,” Andrea said as she blinked her eyes. Andrea soon was inside the system. She found the same Ion Cannon technology like in the other tanks. It was easy to hack the cooling system which would allow the cannon to overheat and explode when fired.   
“Alright, the cooling system is hacked, now what? We can’t wait for her to fire the cannon at the hospital,” Andrea asked.   
“She is going to fire the cannon at us,” Mark said.   
“What?!” Andrea asked as she felt their speed increase. “Are you insane? We can’t dodge that hit.”  
“I said we might not make it, didn’t I?” Mark asked.   
Andrea sighed as she held on, “I know, I should be used to this after so many years.”   
Mark sped up the motorcycle, and soon they were in front of the tank.   
“Think she sees us?” Mark asked. As Mark finished the question, the machine guns slowly moved to take aim at them.   
“Oh she sees us, hold on,” Andrea said as she grabbed her batons. Andrea formed a force field behind them just as the machine guns fired.   
Mark zig-zagged on the motorcycle to block some of the shots from hitting the forcefield. The machine gun stopped briefly, and Andrea watched it as it aimed lower. Andrea followed the line of sight and saw where Madame Hydra was aiming.   
“She is going to shot out our tire!” Andrea said, but it was too late. The tire blow from the machine gun and the motorcycle turned sideways and skid on the road, Andrea and Mark went sliding with it.   
Andrea crashed into the side railing. The motorcycle not far from her flipped over the railing and into a building. Andrea held her side in pain as she looked around to see where Mark stopped. She saw a block away Mark had stopped, and the tank was closing in near him.   
“No,” Andrea said as she tried to stand up. The Tank landed near Mark, and the Ion Cannon took aim. Andrea wasn't able to run, but she limped as fast as she could to Mark. The hatch of the tank opened, and Madame Hydra came out.   
“You had to ruin everything. I am going to enjoy ending you,” Madame Hydra said. Mark quickly threw a dagger hitting Madame Hydra in the arm. Andrea froze in her spot. She knew Mark was taunting her to get her to fire at him. “No,” She said to herself.   
The cannon began to charge, Andrea looked at Mark, who smiled back at her. Andrea didn’t know what this meant. If he accepted his life was ending or something else. She saw no way out for Mark. The cannon fired, and the blast took out the corner of the building which stood behind Mark.   
“No!” Andrea shouted and then the cannon continued to fire and soon overcharged. The tank began to explode, and Andrea covered her face as the tank blew up. The blast sent her flying backward.   
Andrea didn’t know how long she was knocked out. She felt someone shaking her, she opened her eyes to see Iron Man standing there.   
“Thank God you're alright. Where is Mark?” Tony asked.   
Andrea slowly lifted her head, and her thoughts came back to her. “Mark!” Andrea said as she stood up. She limped to where the blast hit.   
“What are you doing?” Tony asked, “Where is Mark?”   
Andrea stopped at the exact spot that the cannon hit the ground. Andrea fell to her knees. “He was here…but now he’s not,” Andrea said.   
Tony walked over, and the face plate of his helmet flipped up as he kneeled near Andrea. “Andrea your not making any sense,” Tony said.   
“He was here, then the tank fired it’s Ion Cannon,” Andrea said. Tony looked around at the debris and at the remains of the tank, then it hit him.   
“It fired at Mark…” Tony said finally.   
Andrea leaned against Tony, “Steve is going to kill me. I told him I would bring Mark back.” Andrea began to cry as Tony hugged her. “How am I gonna tell him that he is dead?”  
“You don’t have to!” Andrea heard. She sat up and looked around.   
“Did you hear that?” Andrea asked Tony.   
“Hear what?” Tony asked.   
“Can I get some help here?!” Andrea heard again.   
“That!” Andrea shouted as she stood up. She walked over to the debris.   
“Hooker where are you?” Andrea shouted.   
“HERE!” Andrea heard.   
“Tony shot the debris here,” Andrea said.   
“What? Why?” Tony asked.   
“Just do it, trust me,” Andrea said.   
“Alright,” Tony said as he took aim and blasted the debris out of the way. Andrea ran over to the cleared area and moved the rocks. She found a manhole cover.   
“Hooker, are you down there? I swear if you are still alive I am going to kill you myself for making me think you are dead!” Andrea shouted.   
“Well, now I am scared to say whether or not I am alive. Let’s just say I am dead, and you don’t need to hurt me,” Mark shouted.   
Andrea leaned down and used her baton to lift the manhole cover. Tony came over to help, and as the cover came off, Andrea saw Mark under it.   
“Thanks, I was thinking I was going to have to find another opening, and that is some questionable liquid down there,” Mark said as he climbed out of the manhole. Mark stood up and brushed off what little dirt he could from himself. Mark looked over to Andrea, who was glaring at him.   
“What?” Mark asked. Andrea lunged forward and began to hit Mark.   
“How dare you make me think you are dead. What type of stupid shit did you need to put me through? What if I had to tell Steve? How would he have felt? More importantly, how would I have felt to be the one to tell him I lost you? You realize I told him I would bring you back right?” Andrea shouted with each hit and kick at Mark.   
“Okay, but I am alive. You don’t need to tell anyone I am dead. You don’t need to worry about Steve,” Mark said with a smile. Andrea finally stopped hitting Mark but still glared at him.   
“Feel better?” Mark asked.   
“No!” Andrea shouted as she jumped and hugged Mark. “I’m just glad you are alive hooker. Did you plan that?”  
“Not until I threw the dagger. I did think it was the end for me until I saw it. I used the dagger as a way to bring Madame Hydra into a blind rage, she didn’t suspect me using my sword to open the manhole,” Mark explained.   
“Can we keep you almost dying from Steve?” Andrea asked.   
Mark hugged Andrea back, “yeah hooker, we can.”


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40  
Mark  
It had been a week after the events with Madame Hydra. The damage from the avoided war could not be excused. Although Andrea and Mark saved the hospital, the roads and building near them were still damaged, and some civilians were still hurt. Worst of all they never found Madame Hydra’s body. Everyone assumed she was destroyed in the explosion, but Mark still wasn’t sure. But he had more important things to figure out, like being back “home” when it still didn’t feel like home to him. The Avengers decided to take a break from things for the time being while S.H.I.E.L.D. managed the political aspects of being a superhero team.   
Mark sat on the roof of the Avenger Mansion. He looked around at everyone outside. Things seemed like this was normal for the mansion. Mark watched as Natasha and Clint were flirting with one another in the most childish of ways. Clint would make a comment, and then Natasha would lash back at him with a hit or glare. Mark found this the funniest when Natasha would smile. It was a sort of dance they did with one another. Mark could only imagine what went on behind closed doors in this mansion.   
Mark looked over at the main event of why everyone was outside. Tony was grilling food for everyone for Steve’s birthday. Mark, of course, didn’t remember Steve’s birthday, but Steve seemed happy to have him home. Mark watched as Tony would brag about his skills and boast of being the main man grilling for everyone. Mark laughed in his head knowing how much he could put Tony to shame with his own skills, or at least he thought he could. He didn’t really test out if he retained all of his cooking skills over the century. He decided to let Tony have his time in the spotlight, though. Mark was surprised to the protest everyone else gave about letting Tony cook. Mark didn’t know everyone loved his cooking so much here. It felt weird, knowing everyone really did miss him when he had nothing to go off to remember this.   
Mark watched as Tony was bragging to everyone there. There were many faces, most of which Mark couldn’t remember. Steve mentioned something about the “Team expanding,” but Mark didn’t know what the team currently was to know what that meant.   
Mark looked over and saw some faces who greeted him earlier. Some large, loud man named Thor who looked like he came out of a Greek mythology book. He kept calling Mark “the assassin.” Mark didn’t correct him, but Thor kept asking him if he was alright since he never bantered back. It seemed Thor was used to Mark’s banter.   
Mark looked around and finally found Steve. Steve was tossing a football around with Bucky. Even though Mark forgot Steve’s birthday, it seemed like the best present to give Steve was to bring his best friend back home. Everyone else seemed wary about Bucky being back, but Mark made sure to ease the tension. Mark never has seen someone so happy before. Steve was smiling the whole time he had been hanging out with Bucky. Mark was happy he could bring this to him. They looked like they were back playing on the street of Brooklyn.   
“So this is where you snuck off to,” Mark heard from behind him. Mark didn’t need to turn around, he already knew who it was. Andrea came walking up next to him and handed Mark a drink, Mark took it, “Thanks,” he said as Andrea sat down.   
“Not enjoying the celebration? You know Steve has been looking for you?” Andrea asked.   
“And you didn’t tell him where I was, why?” Mark asked back.   
Andrea shrugged her shoulders, “I figured you needed some time alone.”  
“I did,” Mark said taking a drink. “It was just overwhelming. All those people coming up to me, talking to me about events I don’t remember, telling me about their lives which I have no reference to, asking about myself which I have no idea how to answer. It all was just too much.” Mark took another drink and looked down at the crowd. He did truly feel like he was dropped in someone else’s life and told to carry forward for that person. He didn’t know what to do or how to act.   
“It’s that bad without any memories huh?” Andrea asked.   
“It’s worse with the emotions. I have the bonds still there with people but nothing to tie the emotions with. It's like all these emotions flying around in you at once, you have no idea why there are there, and then you need to manage them while trying not to mess up how the good emotions feel. It’s the strangest thing I have ever felt,” Mark explained.   
“Have you told Steve?” Andrea asked.   
“He knows. You know he knows,” Mark said.   
“Yeah, just wanted to confirm. He has been on Tony’s back to invent something to help you. We even reached out to the X-men to see if the schematics and interworkings for cerebral could be helpful,” Andrea explained.  
“Reached out to the who and find out about what?” Mark asked.   
“Wow,” Andrea said taking a drink. “So it's like this magnified by twenty down there?”  
“Try by a hundred,” Mark clarified as he held his head. “I just feel bad for Steve. It’s his big day.”  
Andrea and Mark sat there silently for a moment then Andrea got up. “Well, no use moping around. It’s a snooze fest down there. People are expecting us to liven it up. Come on,” Andrea said holding out her hand.   
“Expecting us to liven it up?” Mark asked as he reached for Andrea’s hand.   
“No thinking!” Andrea said firmly. “Just follow me and act. No thoughts, you will see what I mean,” Andrea said as she pulled Mark up and lead the way to the stairs.   
Andrea still pulled Mark by the hand as they headed outside. “I still have no idea what we are supposed to be doing?” Mark asked.   
“What did I say about thinking?” Andrea scorned.   
Mark sighed, “Not to do it.”  
“Right,” Andrea said as she pulled Mark to the center of the party. Everyone was watching them as they entered the area. Mark felt the overwhelming emotions kick in but then took a deep breath, he couldn’t think about it.   
Andrea blinked her eyes, and the neon green of her contacts went on as she hacked the system. Soon music began to play through the sound system Tony rigged outside for the party.   
“Music? That was your solution?” Mark asked.   
“Yup!” Andrea said as she pulled Mark to join in the dancing. “Just go with it.”  
Mark stood there awkwardly for a moment as he looked around. It did look like everyone was expecting them to do something to brighten the party. Andrea continued dancing there trying to get Mark to join in. Finally, Mark smiled at her. “Got anything with a stronger beat?” Mark asked.   
“You got it,” Andrea said as she blinked her eyes and turned up the base of the music. The music had a strong beat to it, and Mark decided to just join in and not worry about his thoughts. Mark and Andrea began to dance there, and soon people began to join in after a few minutes. Natasha grabbed Clint and pulled him to the dance floor, “Mind if we cut in,” Natasha said as Andrea danced with Clint and Natasha pulled Mark aside.   
“It’s good to see you back somewhat,” Natasha said. Mark only smiled as a reply. Mark didn’t want to talk further about his memories, Andrea was right, just act don’t think. This was helping, even if a little. Mark watched as Tony soon became jealous at Clint dancing with Andrea. Tony threw off his grilling apron and marched to the dance floor.   
“I’m cutting in and showing bird boy how it’s done,” Tony said as he cut between Andrea and Clint then spun Andrea around to catch her. “I never knew making you jealous made you such a good dancer, I should dance with Clint more often,” Andrea teased. Natasha looked over and laughed not only at Tony’s jealousy but also at Clint who looked defeated with Tony stealing his partner. Mark smiled and laughed as well. Natasha put her hand on Mark’s arm. “It’s good to hear you laugh again. I missed it,” Natasha said to Mark. Mark smiled at her, and Clint walked over to them.   
“Mind if I steal your partner?” Clint asked. Natasha put her hands on her hips at the way Clint phrased that.   
“I don’t think she wanted to sound like a second-hand dancer,” Mark said.   
“Not you too, Is everyone busting my balls today?” Clint asked Mark. Mark shrugged his shoulders, and Natasha grabbed Clint to dance. “I will dance with you, but I am leading,” Natasha said as they walked over to where Tony and Andrea were dancing. Mark stood there and looked around seeing more people dancing to the music.He started to feel awkward again, but Andrea was right about this, people were waiting for them to liven the party. Everyone’s mood shifted in just a short amount of time.   
Mark began to turn around and walk away from the dance area when someone grabbed his arm. “Where are you going?” Mark heard as he turned to see Steve there smiling, holding his arm.   
“Just over to the side,” Mark answered.   
“Not without dancing with me,” Steve said as he pulled Mark closer.   
“You dance?” Mark asked. Steve smiled as he grabbed Mark’s hand to pull him closer to the crowd. “Only with you,” Steve answered. Mark had to really work hard at following what Andrea said. He needed to just act, not think. It was going to be almost impossible.   
Steve pulled Mark near everyone else and began to dance with Mark. Okay, so it wasn’t as impossible as it first seemed. Mark found himself smiling and enjoying the fun with everyone. Mark could see Andrea and Natasha looking over smiling as well. He knew he had their support in the situation, and he felt more at ease. The songs continued on, and they danced for a while longer. At the end of the of the song, Steve pulled himself in close and ran his hand through Mark’s hair. Steve rested his forehead on Mark’s forehead, Mark felt some anxiety rising.  
“You know, I really missed you,” Steve said as he looked into Mark’s eyes. “I remember the first time you got me to dance with you and Andrea,” Steve said, and that was when Mark felt his emotions go up. Mark stopped dancing and grabbed Steve’s hand bringing it down slowly. “Sorry, Steve,” Mark said as he slowly backed away from Steve and turned to walk away from the dance floor. Mark could feel all the emotions in his head and the confusion it brought, he had no way to process any of it without his memories. Mark walked into the mansion.   
Everyone else stood there confused as to what happened. Natasha ran over to Steve, “I got this,” She said as she headed to the mansion to check on Mark. Andrea walked over to Steve, “You okay?” she asked.   
“I… I don’t know what I did,” Steve asked confused.   
“Nothing, Steve,” Andrea said as she hugged him. “It’s tough living a life with no past, no context, nothing. We got a glimmer of him back, but it will take time.”  
“We are working on something to help him get his memories back. I have multiple scientists building something which might work based on a new theory. We will get him back,” Tony said.   
“But what do we do until then?” Steve asked. Andrea and Tony looked at one another then back at Steve, shrugging their shoulders. Steve just let out a big sigh.   
Natasha ran into the mansion and looked around, it wasn’t difficult to find Mark in the living room sitting there on the couch.   
“You alright?” Natasha asked.   
“No. I am pissed more than anything. Pissed at the whole damn situation,” Mark said resting his head in his hands.   
“Okay…” Natasha said as she sat down next to Mark. “I am going to need a little more than that,” She said.   
“It feels like I am not living my life, Natasha! I am placed here with all the emotions of a person, no memory, no understanding of what the last few years here have been like let alone decades of my own life, and I’m expected to kind of just carry on,” Mark explained.   
“No one expects you to carry on,” Natasha said. “We knew it would be tough.”  
“But I don’t think any of us understood how tough. More so, no one understands how tough it is for me,” Mark said leaning back on the couch and let out a sigh.   
“I have stories of our past. I know I trained you and Andrea from what you told me. It makes sense the emotions I feel, but I don’t have it as an automatic thing to link to my emotions. Yeah, I know I trained you, but the days we spent together are erased. I have nothing, Natasha,” Mark explained. Natasha just nodded her head and leaned in to speak.   
“You know we have some guests here listening, right?” Natasha asked.   
“Yeah, I know. It might be good for one of them to hear this,” Mark said sitting up.   
“You guys can come out now,” Natasha said, and both Bucky and Steve rounded the corner.   
“How did you guys know it was us?” Bucky asked.   
“You guys suck when it comes to sneaking around,” Both Natasha and Mark answered.   
“I haven’t gotten any better huh?” Steve asked as he stepped forward. Both Natasha shook her head, Mark just stared off not responding. “So this is more complicated than just losing memories huh?” Steve asked looked at Mark.   
“I don’t think people know how strong memories tie into our lives, actions, emotions, and how they make us. It was different when I was on my own, I didn’t worry about anyone and needed to be on guard at all times. Now, I don’t want to be, but I got nothing. It feels like I am a shell of a person living this life with nothing bonding me to you guys,” Mark said.   
“I don’t see the big deal. I wasn’t this crazy when I lost my memories,” Bucky said folding his arms.   
“Not helping, Bucky,” Steve said sternly to Buck.   
“And if I recall, you were brainwashed by Hydra during that time. No free will or anything,” Natasha said smugly. Mark smiled at her defending him.   
“Well when I snapped out of it, I was fine,” Bucky explained.   
“But you had your memories back when you snapped out of it,” Natasha said standing up. “And now you are an asshole to someone who is really struggling with lost memories,” Natasha said as she walked over to Bucky and turning him around. “Come on, let’s leave them be. They can work it out,” Natasha said turning to Mark and Steve smiling.   
“But I’m here for support,” Bucky said as Natasha pushed him out of the room.   
“No, you are being an ass,” Natasha said as they left.   
Mark looked over at Steve as he turned around to look at Mark. Steve walked over and sat next to Mark both sat in silence for a while.   
“So what is it like?” Steve finally asked. Mark let out a sigh as he thought the best way to explain it to Steve.  
“When I try and think of something, I get a flood of emotions. It doesn’t always happen when I try and think of something. Anything which would cause you to revert back to a previous memory causes the emotions to come flooding in. I get hit with so many things at once, and I can’t manage it all at the moment then I feel more emotions and anxiety takes over. I usually end with one strong emotion, right now it’s anger,” Mark explained.   
“Oh,” Steve said nodding. “At me?”   
“No,” Mark said. “My anger is always at myself, for the same reason. The simple fact I cannot remember.”  
“I am just glad I didn’t do something to make it worse,” Steve said. “Is it always bad emotions?”   
“No, sometimes good. More often bad, more so anger or anxiety,” Mark said looking down.   
“What happened earlier?” Steve asked. “I know you said you’re not mad at me, but I know I started something.”  
“It did start when you said you missed me. Then my mind realized how great you are and happy I was, but I had no memory to miss you. I wanted to kiss you there, but I thought of what was our first kiss? When was the first time you danced with me? What was anything with you? And then I got flooded,” Mark explained.   
“Oh,” Steve nodded, “Is that why…” Steve began and trailed off with his question.   
“I haven’t been able to do more than hug you? Yeah, it’s why ” Mark said hiding his face from the embarrassment. “Maybe Bucky is right, I should find a way to get over this. It’s really exhausting to deal with all these emotions at once.”  
“Natasha put it very well that he was an ass to you,” Steve said firmly. “None of us can know what it’s like or know what you are going through. I just want to help in any way I can. I don’t like seeing you like this,” Steve said as he grabbed Mark’s hand. Mark looked at Steve and smiled. “Thanks,” Mark said as he squeezed Steve’s hand. Mark stood up and reached into his pockets pulling out his iPod and headphones.   
“What are you doing?” Steve asked.   
“I already caused enough trouble at your party. I am going to go for a walk and listen to my music. It’s your big day, I don’t need to take away from it any more than I already have,” Mark said as he put his headphones in and walked to the door. Mark opened the door and turned back to Steve. “Happy Birthday, Steve. Sorry, I wasn’t fully here for it,” Mark said as he closed the door behind him. Mark turned on his music and began to walk.   
Mark tried to clear his mind and just let the music fill his head. Mark made it to the end of the driveway when he felt someone grab his arm. Mark turned to see Steve grabbing hold of him. Mark took off his headphone, “Steve, what are you doing?”  
“Well, I thought I would go for a walk with you,” Steve said with a smile.   
“But what about your party?” Mark asked.   
Steve looked back at the house, “They are all here more for the Fourth of July celebration. It’s what I get for being born on the same day as Independence Day,” Steve said turning to Mark.   
“But they came here for you…” Mark’s words were cut off when Steve covered his mouth.   
“It’s my birthday, and I can choose to spend it how I want. I want to spend it walking with you,” Steve said with a smile. Mark knew he wasn’t going to win this fight, and deep down he didn’t want to win it.   
“Alright birthday boy,” Mark said as he continued the walk. Steve still held on to Mark’s arm.   
Mark and Steve had walked for about a block before Steve broke the silence. “You know, our first time hanging out alone together was on a walk into the city,” Steve said. Mark turned to Steve, “Yeah?”   
“We didn’t get along well the first night you were at the mansion.”  
“I find it hard to believe we didn’t get along,” Mark said cutting Steve off. Steve gave an embarrassed look which confirmed the story to be true. “Really we didn’t?” Mark asked.   
Steve nodded. “I was mean to you and shut you out. I felt horrible and wanted to make it up to you by helping you get groceries. You let me go with you. You also let me listen to this,” Steve said as he grabbed the opposite headphone and put it in his ear. “You felt bad I didn’t have music, so you let me into your world a little by letting me hear it. From that day, you always let me have the opposite headphone when we walked.”  
Mark listened to Steve as he told the story. “Are you trying to recreate that now?” Mark asked.   
Steve thought for a moment and smiled. “Why not? You may have lost the memories, but it doesn’t mean we can’t recreate a few. I always loved it when we walked together in the city since that day. It always made me feel like we relived it.”  
Mark smiled and held Steve’s arm a little tighter. He could feel the emotions come to him, but he felt safer now. He couldn’t hold back his reactions to the intense emotions, but he let it go. A tear rolled down his cheek, and Mark felt Steve wipe it away.   
“You okay? Is it intense emotions again? I can always go back and let you be,” Steve said, but Mark held on tight and kept walking.   
“I told you not all the emotions are bad ones. This one was a good one, and that wasn’t a sad tear,” Mark said smiling.   
“Oh? What was it then? What’s on your mind?” Steve asked.   
“Just…” Mark began, and he stopped as he looked away. Mark wasn’t sure if he ever felt embarrassed around Steve, but he did right now.   
“Tell me,” Steve said looking at Mark.  
“Just how unbelievable you are for putting up with me, and I am not sure if I deserve you is all,” Mark said turning away with embarrassment. Mark felt his face flushing red. What he felt was true, but he felt embarrassed saying it. Mark felt Steve run his hand through his hair as he pulled Mark closer. Mark could hear Steve laughing as he did this.  
“You know, I used to say and think the same about you,” Steve said as he wrapped his arm around Mark. “This is a much better birthday for me now.”   
Mark and Steve walked as they listened to the music on Mark iPod. Mark didn’t know how long they walked for, but all he knew is it helped him feel better walking with Steve. They came up to a cemetery, and Mark paused for a moment, causing Steve to be pulled Mark when he realized Mark stopped.   
“What’s wrong?” Steve asked.   
“I’m not sure, to be honest,” Mark said as he looked into the cemetery. “I never really had this feeling before.”  
Steve looked out into the cemetery and let out a sigh. “Maybe I should show you something,” Steve said as he walked forward, but Mark pulled him back.   
“No…let’s just keep walking,” Mark said looking down.   
“What’s wrong? I have never seen you this scared,” Steve said putting his hands on Mark's shoulders.   
“Let’s just keep walking. For the time being, I am avoiding this place. I don’t really care what’s in there,” Mark said as he walked forward. Steve stood there at the entrance as Mark walked.   
“But…” Steve began.   
“I don’t care Steve!” Mark shouted. “Are you coming or not?” Mark said, and he didn’t stop or slow down his pace. Mark could hear Steve running to catch up. Mark didn’t want to say anything right now. He wanted to block the emotions out in his mind. He grabbed both headphones and put it in his ears and held them there as he walked. Steve kept pace with Mark. It wasn’t until the cemetery was completely out of view that Mark felt better. He pulled the headphones out of his ears and slowed his pace.   
“A bad one?” Steve asked when Mark slowed down.   
“The worst one yet,” Mark said as Steve caught up with him. Mark could feel Steve grab his hand and hold on tight, it made the feeling go away much faster.   
“What was the emotion?” Steve asked.   
Mark walked in silence for a moment with Steve. Mark wasn't avoiding the question he was just trying to figure out the answer. He never felt that type of emotions before.   
“It was fear but… not the normal kind. It wasn’t like a generally scared feeling, it felt more specific than that. Like I was afraid of something, and it almost paralyzed me,” Mark said.   
“Any idea what the fear was?” Steve asked.   
Mark sighed, “Can we not talk about it? It already was a lot, and I don’t know if I want to say the answer out loud.”  
“Alright,” Steve said pulled Mark close so he could wrap his arm around him. “But on the way home, we are going to have to take a long way back to avoid the cemetery.”  
“I’m fine with that,” Mark said with a smile. He finally felt the emotion gone from him. He had to admit, having Steve near him helped. Mark and Steve walked the streets alone. Most people were off to the many parties celebrating the holiday. Mark had his music, but he wanted a better distraction from things, he wondered if Steve would tell him more about their past.   
“Hey, Steve?” Mark asked.   
“Yeah?” Steve said smiling at Mark.   
“I don’t know if you ever told me this, but…” Mark hesitated for a minute. “When was the moment you know you fell for me?”   
Steve wasn’t phased by the question, Mark thought it would have made him stumble or something. “We never really asked each other that. We told each other when the time was right. I guess I never really thought of when it happened more when I accepted it. For some reason, the first day I met you there was something about you. I showed you around the mansion, and you had this carefree attitude, you didn’t care what others thought of you or how you came across, but you were smiling a lot and very kind to me. We shook hands that day, and I felt something when that happened. I didn’t realize until the next day how special you were to me. Even though I was a jerk to you the first night, you let me come help you. You did something no one really did for me that day. You put my needs first. You would try and seem like a tough guy about it, but it came through loud and clear that you cared. When we walked home, and you told me that you waited over an hour and a half for me to greet fans of mine, I didn’t know what to say. I left you waiting in the store for that long all because fans came to greet me. I told you how sorry I felt to make you wait, but your only reply was you didn’t care cause I looked happy saying hello to everyone. I knew then completely. This tough assassin, who I found out later lived for over a hundred years and built this tough exterior, let me in. I saw your gentle side, you kind side. I didn’t know how to react. Here was someone who was being completely kind to me for no other reason other than I was happy. You said you wouldn’t have minded waiting longer, and before you could finish, I hugged you. I think that’s when it first was known to me how much I cared about you, but I felt it the first day in that handshake,” Steve finished the story with a smile.   
“Wow… you sounded like a piece of work,” Mark said. Steve poked Mark in the side for his comment, and Mark just laughed. Mark felt the emotions come again, but at least he could tie it to this memory, this moment. And the flood never came this time. Mark smiled again.   
“What has you smiling so much?” Steve asked.   
Mark looked over at Steve, “Your plan is working. I felt the flood coming, but I could relate it to this memory. Nothing else happened.”  
“I’m glad,” Steve said as he pulled Mark close to his him and kissed Mark on the forehead. Mark touched the spot where Steve kissed him.   
“Sorry, it was just a reflex…” Steve began, but Mark just shook his head.   
“Don’t be, I told you, I can relate it to this memory now. I don’t know if it will work for everything, but at least I know some things, and I have this moment now to hold on to,” Mark said.   
“So do I get to ask you something?” Steve questioned.   
“You do know this doesn’t mean I have my memory back, right?” Mark said raising an eyebrow. Steve laughed.   
“I know, but you told me when you figure out the puzzle, you would share it with me. Did you ever figure out what drew you to care for me?” Steve asked.   
“I did, least I think I did,” Mark said. “I am just playing a guessing game of what makes sense really.”  
“Can you tell me?” Steve asked.   
“How about later tonight? I have had too much to deal with for the time being,” Mark said   
“Alright,” Steve said as he came in and kissed Mark on the forehead again. Mark couldn’t help but smile. He was happy things could be more normal now, or at least seem normal. Who knew if Steve plan would completely work.


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41  
Steve  
It was late when Mark and Steve got back to the mansion. They saw the fireworks display Tony set off from a distance but were never near enough to see them up close. It was about another hour after the fireworks display that they arrived back at the mansion. Steve held the door open for Mark as he went in, Steve followed. They saw Natasha cleaning up in the kitchen.   
“All the guests leave?” Mark asked.   
“They all scattered after the fireworks. Did you guys see them? You missed a great show,” Natasha said.   
“We saw them from afar, but we could still see them. I mean the giant red and gold fireworks were hard to miss,” Steve said.   
“Tony and his narcissism,” Mark said smiling. Steve pushed Mark playfully for being sarcastic.   
“Anything else outside that needs cleaning up?” Mark asked.   
“Clint is outside, he needs cleaning up. He is a tad of a mess right now after getting into a drinking competition with me. He should know never to try a Russian with Vodka,” Natasha said smiling.   
“You are evil, but well played none the less. I will go collect his life,” Mark said as he walked out the back door. Steve walked over to Natasha to help throw away the leftover food and to clean the dishes.   
“How is he?” Natasha asked.   
“Better, a lot better actually. The walk was tough at some points but we talked a while, and he told me some of the emotions stopped because of the walk and the stories I told him,” Steve said.   
“That’s good. I was beginning to really worry about him. I thought a lot about what he told us. I can’t imagine how it is to just exist with no memories but have all the ties to the emotions. After you guys had left, I focused on how much I relied on what I know from memory. I can see why it was such a struggle for him,” Natasha said as she put the plates in the dishwasher.   
“Looks who's back. And you missed the big show for your birthday!” Steve heard as he turned to see Bucky walking in with more plates. “You left with Mark the whole time, did you need to be gone for the rest of the party?”   
“I did,” Steve said as he went back to helping Natasha. “I preferred it actually. It was nice to have some time alone with Mark and spend my birthday doing something I enjoy.”  
“So how is he? Did he have any more meltdowns?” Bucky asked as he put the plates near Natasha. Natasha glared at Bucky as she grabbed a plate.   
“He’s better Bucky. We talked a while and enjoyed the city. We talked about a few things of when we first met. It was really nice actually,” Steve said smiling while he threw more food out and put the plates in the sink.   
“So that’s how he is able to hold back the emotional flood?” Natasha asked.   
“Yeah, he said the memories we made today with the stories I told him linked to some of the emotions. He also began telling me more about when it happens and what emotions comes out the most. He is doing better,” Steve said looking at Natasha.   
“Yeah, but can you deal with that your whole life Steve?” Bucky asked.   
“What do you mean Bucky?” Steve asked not looking at him.   
“I mean come on, the dude couldn’t even manage at the party today. He was fine for about fifteen minutes before he needed to step aside. Is that what you want your life to be?” Bucky asked.   
“Enough, Bucky,” Steve said.   
“I am just looking out for you. I know Mark is a good guy. Hell, he saved me from Hydra without his memories, but this is something really big for anyone to take on. And let’s be honest, he might never get better. This could be your whole life with him if you stay together,” Bucky said.   
“Enough!” Steve shouted as a plate smashed in his hands. Natasha sighed and went over to grab a paper towel to help Steve with the cut on his hand. Steve grabbed the paper towel, “Thanks,” he said as he ran cold water over his cut and dressed his wound.   
“You need to face facts, Steve,” Bucky said.   
“Enough, Bucky,” Natasha said with a glare which froze Bucky on the spot. “You don’t know what Tony has been working on over the last week. In fact, he wanted to talk to Steve about something before talking to Mark.”  
“He did?” Steve asked as he looked up to Natasha.   
“Yeah, he did. I don’t know what he found out, but he wanted to talk to you and only you about it,” Natasha said as she threw the broken plate in the trash.   
“Well, where is he?” Steve asked.   
“Andrea was dancing with him after you guys left and during the fireworks show she was whispering something to him. I don’t know what that woman said, but Tony practically went primal and carried her inside to their room. I am glad we had the sounds of the fireworks to drown out whatever was going on. He said he would talk to you in the morning,” Natasha explained.   
They heard the back door open, and Mark was carrying Clint on his back. Clint held a stick in his hand and was asleep, or appeared to be.   
“I’m going to drop him off in your room, Natasha,” Mark said as he walked by.   
“What’s with the stick?” Natasha asked.   
“Well, first Clint thought it was his bow and tried to shot arrows at me. Then Clint figured it had to be a wand, and he was a wizard, so he shouted some strange words and to cast spells on me. When that failed, he accepted he was a night and began hitting me with it while I carried him. He stopped about thirty seconds ago and fell asleep,” Mark said.   
“I can’t believe I missed that whole thing,” Natasha said while cracking a smile.   
“He probably will try and cast a seduction spell on you later, I’m just going to drop him off then head to my room to settle in for the night,” Mark said as he carried Clint up the stairs. When Mark was out of sight, Natasha broke the silence.   
“Shit,” Natasha said. “He heard you two.”  
Steve looked at Natasha, “What do you mean?”   
“Why do you think it took him so long to get Clint? He heard you two fighting, Probably heard Bucky saying the situation is hopeless,” Natasha said as she threw a glass at Bucky. It hit him in the chest as it shattered to the ground.   
“Ow, careful,” Bucky said as he rubbed the spot where Natasha hit him.   
“You idiot,” Natasha said as she got the dustpan and broom. “Clean it up. It’s the least you can do.”  
Bucky groveled but took the broom and dustpan and began to sweep.   
“Do you think he heard you? About what Tony wants to talk to me about?” Steve asked in a low voice.   
“I doubt he would listen after hearing the hopeless part. And even if he did, he would hear Tony would talk to him later as well. He wouldn’t have just left us here when he offered to help clean. My guess, he missed that part,” Natasha said as she finished putting the dishes away.   
“Do you think he will be okay?” Steve asked.   
“Why would he be…” Bucky began but stopped as Natasha held a larger glass in her hand aimed at his head. Bucky put his hands up in defeat and continued sweeping.   
“When you talk to him tonight he will feel better,” Natasha said as she put the glasses in the dishwasher.   
“You’re right. He promised to tell me a few things tonight. Maybe if I chat with him like we did on the walk, he will feel better about everything till tomorrow,” Steve said as he pulled the trash bag out of the barrel.   
“Hold up,” Bucky said as he put the broken glass pieces in the trash bag. Steve tied up the bag.   
“Is this the last of it?” Steve asked.   
“Yeah, we cleared most of the chairs earlier. Nothing is left out there. You head on up, Bucky can take this out,” Natasha said.   
“Why me?” Bucky asked.   
“You either take the trash out or I will. And the trash I take out will have a body in a bag,” Natasha threatened. Bucky stared Natasha down for about three seconds before grabbing the bag and walking it outside.   
“You are really overprotective of Mark you know that?” Steve said to Natasha.  
Natasha smiled, “Look who is talking. And also, who do you think taught me to be overprotective of the family? Now go talk to him.”  
“Alright,” Steve said with a smile as he walked to the foyer and up the stairs. Steve turned down the hallway and saw the light on in their room. It was good to once again call that room theirs. Steve walked in and saw Mark already dressed for the night sitting on the bed.   
“Hey,” Mark said as he looked at Steve.   
“Hey,” Steve said as he closed the door behind him Steve walked over to the dresser and changed into his sleepwear. Steve looked over at Mark and saw him looking away as Steve changed. Steve laughed.   
“What?” Mark asked.   
“You know, there was a point and time I was the embarrassed one. I forgot you don’t remember we shared a space for so long. It’s alright, though. I just found it funny,” Steve said as he sat on the other side of the bed from Mark. “So do I get to hear the solution to your puzzle?” Steve asked.   
Mark sighed, “You asking about the puzzle I was figuring out of what draws me to you and made me so strongly connected to you, right?”   
“The very one,” Steve said smiling. “Although I think you said it was what you hypothesize had you fall in love with me.”  
Mark smiled, “Yes what made me fall in love with you,” Mark clarified. Mark sat up on the bed. “This is going to be a lot, and like I said it's all a theory since I don’t have memories to confirm it. But I know myself, and I know what you told me. So this is going to be a bit winded, okay?” Mark explained.   
Steve nodded.   
“And some things might show some parts of you which you might deny, but it fits my theory, try to go with it,” Mark added.   
“Okay,” Steve said as he got comfortable.   
Mark had taken a deep breath before he began. “Ready?” Mark asked.   
“Yeah,” Steve answered.   
“You worried I didn’t like you because you were an army guy, a blonde, a muscle lunk. Well, the truth is those aren’t any reasons why I do care about you so much,” Mark said.   
“So what is?” Steve asked. Mark leaned in and put his hand on Steve’s chest. “This.” Steve looked at his chest then up slightly confused by Mark’s words. “You’re a sensitive soul full of courage and always wanting to do the right thing. You are smart, creative, brave, a fighter, and never back down from what you believe in. You are always seen as Captain America, the highest standard of our soldiers. You were seen by many in a positive light for your army background, and it bothers you when I don’t see that in you. The truth is, that is Captain America, and I see just Steve Rogers. I think I see more in you than you do in yourself. You told me I brought out more of Steve Rogers than anyone else, and that’s because that’s the part of you I fell for. I see it still now. You are funny, sweet, a little clumsy sometimes, embarrass easily, and a goofball mainly around me. You are a protector, though, always have been,” Mark said as he sat back up. Steve met Mark’s eyes.   
“I always was the protector, my powers made it that way. Most likely over the years, you struggled with me protecting you all the time but in the same instance valued it. I am sure I made many dumb decisions based on my reckless behavior with my powers,” Mark said as Steve nodded agreeing, Mark made a face at Steve.   
“But I see value in protecting what I see in you. Easily that part of you was hidden away, and I brought it out. You told me people didn’t see Steve Rogers for years until I came into your life. I most likely noticed that as well and did all I could to protect it. Simply put, I fell for Steve Rogers when I met him fully. Not Captain America. So does that put your mind at ease a little?” Mark asked.   
Steve just blinked as Mark finished speaking. “Wow, you figured all that out from just simple information gathering?” Steve asked.   
“I wouldn’t think a muscle-headed soldier who has never picked up a book to realize all that,” Mark said with a smile. Steve grabbed a pillow and hit Mark with it. “What? I did get all that information on my own and know the parts which drew me to you as I talked to you more. I wasn’t able to fill in the gaps until recently, until after I talked with you.”  
Steve smiled at Mark then thought of something. “Wait, what about you not liking blondes?” Steve asked.   
“Eh,” Mark said as he made a face, “I don’t normally go for blondes. I can’t explain that one. It's one of those mysteries of the universe I suppose,” Mark said with a smiled as he lied down on the bed.   
“I think I can accept that answer,” Steve said as he hugged Mark. Steve looked at Mark, who was once again lost in his thoughts.   
“You okay? You’re not being flooded again are you?” Steve said letting go. Mark put his hands on Steve’s arms to stop him. “No, I just… I overheard you guys talking,” Mark confessed.   
“Natasha thought you did,” Steve admitted.   
“Is this too much for you Steve? I don’t know when I will get better. Yeah the last week has been a struggle and today was better at the end, but it’s been months of this. It’s not exactly a normal medical condition people can take pills for or go to therapy. I can’t recover my memories on my own. Bucky had a good point when he spoke,” Mark said.   
Steve pulled Mark closer into the hug. “You said it yourself, I am a protector. You were always the one protecting me for so long, it’s my turn now.”  
Mark smiled at Steve’s words, “But it's protecting me from myself basically.”  
“We can work on that together. You brought out Steve Rogers since the day I met you. I don’t want to lose you. Today we had a good day, We can keep it going together,” Steve said. “I don’t care what Bucky thinks. I see it as worth it.”  
Mark turned to look into Steve’s eyes. Steve smiled and rested his forehead on Mark’s forehead. “What you came up with is true. I see so much in you that I value more than anything else. I see what it bring out in me.”  
Mark ran his hand through Steve’s hair. Steve looked into Mark's eyes, and they both leaned forward into a kiss. It was a while since they had actually kissed one another and Steve missed the kiss so much. This helped assure him they could get through it. When they pulled away from the kiss Steve spoke, “And admit it, you enjoy making out with me which is another reason why you fell for me.” Mark laughed, “Or that you are egotistical?” Mark asked. Steve smiled and pulled Mark in for another kiss.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42  
Tony  
Tony was working on a helmet, similar to Cerebral, while Andrea began filling a tank with salt water. They both worked hard this morning after a wild night. Tony felt guilty he couldn’t talk to Steve last night when he discovered what could work to help Mark get his memories back. Natasha told Tony she would send Steve to the lab as soon as she saw him this morning. Tony kept checking all the circuitry of the helmet and making sure all the parts which needed to be watertight were, in fact, that. Andrea walked in with another bucket of water and dumped it into the tank.   
“Why do we need all this salt water?” Andrea asked as she put the bucket down.   
“We need to suspend Mark in the tank. Saltwater tanks help create a sense of floating in space. If we want this to work we have to shut off all of his senses while he is in the tank,” Tony explained.   
“So that’s why the blackout curtains,” Andrea said looking at the curtains on the side. “Is there anything else we need?”  
“I made the tank out of soundproof material. Mark will lose sense of everything in there. It’s our best hope for it to work,” Tony said nervously. Andrea walked over to Tony and held his hand.   
“Don’t be nervous. This is the best plan we have. You looked at everything from Cerebral to the theories of the mind to even reading up all you could on how you can make neurons link in his brain again. If anyone could do this it’s you,” Andrea said.   
Tony looked into Andrea’s eyes, “I am more scared to tell Steve this crazy plan. How do you tell someone what we are planning?”   
“I will be here when you tell him. And the best way to tell someone is to be honest,” Andrea said looking around at everything. “Mark would support this, even if he had his memories intact.”  
“I know,” Tony sighed. “Like you, he sees the method to my madness. I never questioned his choices, and he’s never questioned mine. It's weird how we all accept the choices we make no matter how crazy.”  
“You are pretty crazy. But this is a situation where it is crazy enough to work,” Andrea said with a smile.   
“Let’s hope. The helmet is ready. We have everything set up,” Tony said.  
“Set up for what?” Tony heard as he looked at the stairs.   
“Hey, Steve,” Andrea said as Steve walked down into the lab. “How is Mark?”   
“He’s better. We had a long chat when we went for a walk, and he figured out ways to help calm things down for him. Last night he didn’t need any of Tony’s pills to sleep,” Steve said as he walked forward.   
“Pills?” Andrea asked glaring at Tony.  
“What?” Tony said defensively. “He hasn’t slept in weeks. He told me when he was out on his own he would sleep for about five hours in a week. He couldn’t sleep long with everything going on in his mind. I gave him some Ambien. It helped him. Not even we can survive on so little sleep for so long,” Tony explained.   
“It was that bad?” Andrea asked looking at Steve. Steve nodded. “He would normally just stay awake all night. I would wake up and see him still up. The pills helped, but he didn’t need them last night, so I think that means things are better,” Steve said as he looked around at the contraption Andrea and Tony built. “Is this what you wanted to see me about? A giant fish tank?” Steve asked.   
“It’s not a fish tank,” Tony said as he walked over to explain. “It’s a sensory deprivation chamber. It might help Mark.”  
“Might?” Steve asked looking at the tank. “Natasha said you may have found a way to get back Mark’s memories?” Steve asked.   
“We might have,” Tony said as he grabbed the helmet. “I made this with the schematics of Cerebral. It is enhanced to use powerful electromagnetic waves and electricity to spark the connections in his neurons. We need to put Mark in the tank to shut off all of his senses so that we can focus on connecting all of his memories back together,” Tony explained.   
“It’s that simple?” Steve asked as he circled the tank. “Why did you wait till now to tell me we had this? We should get Mark now and do it,” Steve said as he was about to run up the stairs.   
“There is more, Steve,” Tony began, and Steve stopped in his tracks. “There is a risk.”  
“What kind of risk, Tony?” Steve said looking at Tony intensely.   
Tony let out a big sigh before a spoke. “That’s the thing. We do not know for sure, Steve. In theory, it could work on Mark.”  
“Or it could do something else?” Steve asked.   
Tony looked up at Steve as he said the words, “It could kill him.”  
Steve’s eyes went wide as he looked from Tony to Andrea. Tony couldn’t help but feel the weight of what he just told Steve.   
“What’s the chance it could kill him?” Steve asked.   
Tony looked away, and Andrea stepped next to Tony to answer. “We don’t know Steve. It could be a very slim chance, or it could be a very big chance. It’s all theory,” Andrea said as she grabbed Tony’s arm.   
“So we don’t even know if it will work at all? We could end up just killing him?” Steve asked as his voice grew louder and louder. “Why would you tell me this?”   
There was a long period of silence. Tony was trying to gather the words in his head before he spoke. He could not believe what he was going to ask Steve. “We need your decision on this Steve. We won’t go through with it if you don’t want to go through with it,” Tony explained.   
Steve looked like the wind was knocked out of him. “My decision? Why do I need to decide?”  
“Oh come on, Steve. You know exactly way” Tony said as he walked up to Steve and reached into Steve’s jacket pocket. Tony pulled out a small velvet box. “This is why. If Mark never lost his memories, you would have asked him the all-important question, and we all know what the answer would be. I felt it wouldn’t be fair to have Mark go through with it if we didn’t ask his future husband first. We wanted your permission to go through with this plan,” Tony explained.   
Steve grabbed the velvet box back and held it tight in his hand. “You don’t know what he would have said,” Steve said in a low voice.   
“You’re lying to yourself if you think he would have given another answer. You know the right thing to do would be to ask you first before anything,” Tony shouted.   
Steve looked down at the velvet box and opened it. Tony could see the platinum band in it. Steve stared at to for a long time. Tony could only guess what Steve was thinking. This ring represented everything he fought for, everything both Steve and Mark were, and there would be a chance Mark would never wear it. Finally, Steve spoke. “What about Mark. Doesn’t he have a choice in this?”  
“We already know what Mark’s decision will be, Steve,” Andrea said as she walked up to him. “He gave the answer in Asgard, remember?” Andrea asked.   
Steve stared at Andrea and then at Tony.   
“Walking the Earth as a ghost with no memories is a worse punishment than death,” Tony said repeating Mark’s words.  
Andrea grabbed Steve’s hand while Steve processed what Tony said. It seemed Steve forgot Mark’s words, but Andrea and Tony remembered. Mark could forgive himself back then and didn’t fear death but feared forgetting everyone he held close.   
“When?” Steve asked.   
“When what?” Tony asked back.   
“When would we put him through this?” Steve clarified.   
Tony thought for a moment, “We can technically do it now, but…” Tony thought for a moment longer. “We can tell him tonight. Mark is going to want to try it right away when he finds out we have this here. It will give you time.”  
“Time?” Steve asked.   
“Yes Steve, time. Time to finally ask him the question. Time to spend with him if things do go wrong. We have no guarantees here. But I want you to have time with him. I want you to have the chance to hear him say the answer we all know he will give and you have been desperately trying to hear him say,” Tony said.   
Steve stood there for a while and stared at the ring. Andrea looked at Tony with worry in her eyes, but Tony gave a reassuring look back to Andrea. Tony knew Steve would make the right decision, and he could have the day with Mark. Tony watched as Steve closed the velvet box and put it in his jacket.   
“I don’t know if I can ask him that question,” Steve said looking at Andrea and Tony with tears his in eyes.   
“Steve,” Andrea said stepped forward and put her hand in his.   
Tony stepped forward and put his hand on Steve’s shoulder, “You know he will say yes,” Tony stated again.   
“I don’t know if I can stand hearing him say yes and losing him on the same day,” Steve said as he stepped back. “But tonight, we tell him. He decides when to do it.” Steve said as he walked up the stairs.   
Tony and Andrea watched as Steve walked up the stairs and out of the lab. Tony let out a big sigh when Steve was out of sight. Tony collapsed in his chair and put his head in his hands   
“He made the right decision,” Andrea said looking at Tony. “You did, too.”  
Tony let his hands fall as he looked up. Tony kept looking up at the stairs and remembering the look Steve gave him when he told him the risk of this procedure. Tony put his hand through his hair as he felt the tension leave him. “Yeah, not the easiest thing in the world to do, telling your best friend you might kill his future husband,” Tony said.   
“You know Mark would have said yes if we told him. Steve would have been furious with us if we didn’t come to him first and tell him the facts. We made the right call,” Andrea assured Tony.   
“Yeah,” Tony said as he stood up and walked back to their contraption. Tony ran his hand across the cool metal. “But still, we might be sending Mark to his grave tonight.”


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43  
Mark  
Mark woke up in the morning and looked over to an empty bed. It felt weird not seeing Steve there next to him. Mark woke up next to Steve for the past week, even if it was just for a brief rest. Steve would sometimes be awake but still laying there in bed next to him. But today, Steve was nowhere to be found. Mark got out of bed and slowly walked to the dresser. Mark changed out of his clothes and put on his normal day wear, which always involved jeans, a button-down shirt, and converse shoes. Mark stopped and looked down at the dresser. Steve’s dog tags were still on the dresser from the other night. Mark picked up the dog tags and held them in his hand. For some reason, Mark felt a sense of calm when he held them. He didn’t know if it was because it reminded him of the night he first saw Steve in this room, or if it was because it was something tied to Steve. Still, Mark decided to hold onto the dog tags as he left the room.   
Mark didn’t know exactly why he took the dog tags. He thought maybe if things got rough today, he could hold them, and it would help calm him down. Mark looked at the dog tags in his hands as he walked down the stairs. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he hit his head against something.   
Mark staggered back a step and held his forehead, “Ow,” He said in a monotone voice.   
“Mark!” Mark heard as he felt familiar hands on his shoulders. “Are you okay?”   
Mark didn’t need to look to see who it was, he already felt a wave of calm flow over him when Steve rested his hands on his shoulders. Mark rubbed his forehead, “Yeah, it’s my fault for not looking,” Mark said.   
Mark kept rubbing his head. The hit hurt more than he expected.   
“What were you looking at?” Steve asked. Mark looked down to his hand which held the dog tags. He opened his hands to reveal them.   
“Sorry,” Mark said as he stopped rubbing his forehead. He saw Steve looking down at the dog tags. “You weren’t there when I woke up this morning. When I was getting ready, I saw them on the dresser. I don’t know why but holding them made it seem like they could help if things got bad today for me. I can put them back.”  
Mark saw Steve lift his head and rest his forehead against his, “It’s okay. If they help you hold on to them,” Steve said as he looked into Mark’s eyes. Mark looked into Steve’s and saw they were red, and it looked like Steve had been crying.   
“You okay?” Mark asked as he lifted his hand and wiped some water away from Steve’s eyes.   
“I’m fine, now,” Steve said as he grabbed the dog tags from Mark’s hand. Steve put the dog tags around Mark’s neck and fixed them to hang centered. “There, I would want you to wear them if they help,” Steve said.   
“Um,” Mark began, “Don’t I need to be in the army to earn these?”   
Steve laughed. “Consider yourself an Army lunk now. And you can wear them if they belong to someone you care about,” Steve explained.   
“Ha, ha,” Mark said. “Careful or I will tell everyone what the G stands for in your middle name,” Mark threatened.   
“You remember?” Steve asked hopefully.   
Mark saw Steve smile big and felt bad explaining the truth. “No, well not from a lost memory. I read it in your file when I hacked into S.H.I.E.L.D. Sorry, I didn’t mean to get your hopes up,” Mark said apologetically.   
Steve’s smile faded, and he rubbed Mark’s arm. “It’s okay. So what you planning on doing up so early?” Steve asked.   
“I was going to attempt to cook you breakfast this morning,” Mark said with some hesitation in his voice.   
“Attempt?” Steve asked.   
“Yeah,” Mark said quietly, “I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to with my memory gone. I don’t know the kitchen too well or where anything is. Sad to say that when I know, I was the one who set it up.”  
Steve grabbed Mark’s hand and led the way to the kitchen, “Well then let’s see if you can.” Steve said with a smile. Mark followed Steve to the kitchen, and They both stood in front of the counter.   
“What did you want to make?” Steve asked.   
“Something simple, I didn’t want to overdo it. And probably not something for the whole house, just you,” Mark said as he looked around the counter and the cabinets. Mark didn’t know where to start.   
“You okay now?” Steve asked.   
“I…don’t remember where anything is,” Mark confessed with a smile.   
Steve laughed, “Well tell me what you need, I will get it for you.”  
“A cast iron pan and spatula would be all I need to cook. For food, Bacon, eggs, butter, salt, pepper, and some kind of starch. Oh and Cheese,” Mark said. Steve smiled as he gathered everything for Mark. Steve even grabbed potatoes for the starch.   
“Oh… I need a knife and cutting board,” Mark explained. Steve quickly got those for Mark as well and took a seat at the table.   
“Okay,” Mark said and then took a deep breath. Cooking wasn't as scary as Mark thought it would be. He cut the potato into thin disks to fry up after he cooked the bacon. The grease and butter were used to cook the potato. Mark then fried up eggs at the end of the process and topped everything off with cheese. Mark made two plates of food, one for himself and other for Steve. Mark brought the plate over to Steve and took a seat with him to eat.   
“Not the most complex thing, but it’s a start right?” Mark said. Steve smiled as he picked up a fork and took a bite. Mark ate in silence next to Steve and realized his cooking wasn’t bad at all. He would need to try and make something bigger next time. Mark was more surprised his mind didn’t wander into trying to find past memories or any past recipes he might have forgotten. What Steve said kept sounding more like the solution to Mark, they needed to make new memories or recreate the old ones. Mark finished his food and saw Steve barely ate any of his.   
“Did I mess something up?” Mark asked. Steve looked up from the plate.   
“No, it’s really good actually. It reminded me of how you used to cook is all. All the meals you made here and how much everyone voted you to be in the kitchen and no one else. I guess I wasn’t as hungry as I thought. So how was that for you? Was it rough?” Steve asked.   
“Not at all…other than not knowing where everything was. I didn’t have any problem with memories while cooking. And I can even realize it and think about that fact without things getting worse,” Mark said then he smiled. “I guess you were right the other day. It can get better for me.”  
Steve smiled as he stood up and grabbed Mark's plate. Steve went over and washed the dishes while Mark sat there looking at Steve.   
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Mark asked.   
“Yeah, why?” Steve asked with a smile.   
“You just seem kind of lost in thought. Like something is bothering you,” Mark said.   
“Just worried about you is all, sorry,” Steve said as he dried his hands.   
“It’s alright, you kind of have reason to be after yesterday,” Mark said embarrassed of how bad things got for him.   
“Don’t feel bad about yesterday. I enjoyed the day with you. I wouldn’t have picked any other way to celebrate my birthday,” Steve said smiling as he walked over and wrapped his arms around Mark.   
“Alright, well what should we do today?” Mark asked.   
“You pick,” Steve said standing up from the hug.   
Mark thought for a long moment and came up with an answer. “Well since Natasha is most likely helping Clint recover from his hangover and Tony and Andrea are either in their room or the lab, I thought we could just relax together. I noticed you haven’t been drawing, and it might be nice to just lounge around while you draw,” Mark said.   
Steve looked a little down when Mark gave his answer. “Alright, something is wrong, tell me what’s up. I make breakfast, and you don’t eat any of it. I suggest something you love to do, and you look like I kicked your puppy. I didn’t think any of these were crap ideas,” Mark said.   
“They’re not,” Steve said. “I just haven’t felt like drawing today.”  
“Well maybe you should pick something since I can’t seem to come up with any good options today,” Mark said as he walked to get a drink from the refrigerator. Mark grabbed a soda as he heard someone walking into the kitchen.   
“Morning,” Bucky said to Mark and Steve. “How are your emotions today? Have them in check?” Bucky asked Mark.   
“Ha, ha, Bucky. It’s been fine though, thanks for asking,” Mark said sarcastically.   
“Have they been?” Bucky asked with real concern. “You did have a rough time yesterday.”  
“It was rough,” Mark said as he grabbed a soda for Bucky and handed it to him. “But better today, least no meltdowns.”  
“That’s good,” Bucky said as he opened the soda and took a sip. “I don’t know how to scrape you off the ceiling if it did happen. You better make sure someone is around to help you if it does happen.”  
Mark and Bucky turned as they heard a loud bang on the counter from Steve. “Can you just stop, Bucky,” Steve growled. Mark looked at Bucky, who was frozen in his spot from the sound and shared the same wide-eyed expression as Mark. Mark turned to look back at Steve.   
“Steve, it’s alright. It’s just how Bucky shows concern. He didn’t mean anything by it. He is just worried and he just sucks conveying how he really feels,” Mark explained.   
“Right. I suck with emotions, and you're flooded with them,” Bucky said, and as soon as Bucky finished the sentence, Steve turned around and punched Bucky in the face. Bucky hit the ground hard.   
“Jesus, Steve,” Mark said as he went to help Bucky. Steve just glared at Bucky there on the ground. Mark could see Bucky’s eye begin to swell. Mark grabbed his cold soda and pressed it to Bucky’s eye. “It’s already swelling,” Mark said to Bucky. Bucky took the soda can and held it to his eye. Mark looked at Steve.   
“What the hell was that all about?” Mark asked.   
Steve didn’t answer. He stood there for a second longer then turned and walked out of the kitchen and headed for the front door. Mark looked at Bucky.  
“Go get him, I’m fine. Not much we can do other than keeping my eye cold,” Bucky said. Mark got up and ran to the door. Mark ran outside and saw Steve walking down the driveway.   
“Steve,” Mark shouted as he headed toward Steve. Steve paused to look at Mark. Mark ran forward but then his vision went black, and he almost tripped over himself. Mark paused and held his hand to his head. “That was…different,” Mark said as he looked back up at Steve. Steve looked concerned and began to walk toward Mark. Mark took a step forward, and his vision went completely black, and he hit the ground hard.  
Mark woke up in his bed. He slowly sat up and looked around, he saw Steve sitting beside him with his sketchbook open.   
“You’re up!” Steve said excitedly.   
“What happened?” Mark asked.   
“You fell. I don’t know what caused it. Luckily you didn’t cut your head or hit the concrete,” Steve said. “Do you remember what happened?”  
“I remember you hitting Bucky for no reason,” Mark said. Steve looked away as Mark brought up his actions. “I went after you. I was fine then when I walked outside, I took a few steps, and my vision went black. It was weird. I thought everything was alright and then when I took a few more steps I only saw black and felt the ground,” Mark said.   
“Did you feel a wave of emotions?” Steve asked. Mark shook his head.   
“I… felt some strong emotions. Worry for you hitting Bucky and not telling me what is going on, confusion around it all, anger….I guess a natural wave of emotions came to me,” Mark said as he looked out the window. “How long was I out for?”  
“A while, practically the whole day,” Steve answered.   
“I guessed I kind of ruined our whole relaxation day together, huh?” Mark said. Mark felt Steve grab his hand and squeeze hard.   
“No, I did. I overreacted, and you probably wouldn’t have blacked out if I didn’t,” Steve said. Mark looked down to see the sketchbook.   
“Least you got to sketch today,” Mark said with a smile. “Draw anything good?”   
Steve looked down at his sketch, but Mark couldn’t see it. “It is good, but something I don’t know will happen,” Steve said.   
“Huh?” Mark asked.   
“Nevermind,” Steve said as he closed his sketchbook.   
“How is Bucky?” Mark asked.   
“He has a black eye but thanks to your soda, it's not swollen too bad,” Steve said as he stood up. “Come on, I got something important to tell and show you,” Steve said as he offered his hand. Mark grabbed Steve’s hand and stood up from the bed.   
“Okay, where are we going?” Mark asked.   
“Downstairs, to the lab,” Steve said as he led the way. Mark followed Steve until they reached the basement. Mark saw Andrea, Bucky, Tony, Natasha, and Clint down there waiting for them.   
“Was there some sort of party I missed during my blackout?” Mark asked looking at Steve.   
“No, Tony found something out,” Steve said in a serious tone.   
Mark looked over at Tony, who stood near what looked like a giant fish tank.   
“We may have found a way to get your memories back,” Tony said.   
“What?” Mark said in shock.   
“It’s theory, mainly because there has never been an experiment to prove it right or wrong. But we built the necessary parts for the plan. We have a helmet made similar to Cerebral. It is augmented to transmit electromagnetic waves and electricity to precise spots in your brain. Basically, I can control it to rebuild your neurons in your brain and get your memory back,” Tony explained.   
Mark walked over and looked at the helmet and then at the tank.   
“That’s a sensory deprivation tank that Andrea and I made. We need to numb your brain to all senses to get it to not react while I work. While you're in the tank, you are going to have to remain as calm as possible,” Tony said.   
Mark looked at Tony, “ There is a catch.”  
“We don’t know if it will cure you… or kill you,” Andrea finally said. Mark looked at Andrea then back at Steve, who couldn’t make eye contact with Mark. “That’s why you were so upset all day,” Mark said.   
“Doesn’t excuse him punching me,” Bucky said.   
“True,” Mark said. “But give him a break.” Mark looked at the tank. He couldn’t believe this fish tank could bring everything back to him.   
“So?” Tony began, “Are you game?”   
Mark stared at the tank for a long while and then at the helmet. He knew he wanted his memories back and each day a new problem arose from not having his head fully right. “What do I need to do?” Mark asked.   
“Awesome,” Andrea said as she stepped forward. “Strip down.”  
“I’m sorry, what?” Mark asked. Andrea rolled her eyes. “To your underwear. Your clothes will weight you down to much in the tank. We need you to wear as little as possible.”  
Mark looked around at everyone and sighed, “Fine.” Mark did as told and soon was standing there wearing only his underwear and Steve’s dog tags. “These stay on,” Mark said.  
Andrea looked over at Tony to see if it was alright. “It will be fine, they won’t interfere with the helmet and won't weigh him down,” Tony said as he grabbed the helmet. Tony handed it to Andrea. “You fit him for it, I have to tell the others something. Fill him in on the rest,” Tony explained as he pulled Natasha, Clint, and Bucky aside.   
Andrea slipped on the helmet and made sure it was on tight and double checked the waterproof sections. Mark watched as Tony explained something to the others in a low voice.   
“What is he telling them?” Mark asked Andrea. Andrea looked to the side to make sure Steve was far enough away.   
“The part Tony left out is this is going to be extremely painful. He will basically be rebuilding your brain. You are going to feel the most intense pain you ever felt in your life. We need to make sure Steve doesn’t break you out of the tank while it’s happening. If he does, it will kill you for sure,” Andrea whispered. Mark looked over at Steve. Steve finally made eye contact with Mark and walked over.   
“You sure about this?” Steve asked.   
Mark thought for a moment before answering. “If you asked me this morning, I would have said no to the whole thing. I thought things were getting better. But after what happened, I don’t know what else will happen to my brain if I don’t do this,” Mark said. Steve leaned in and kissed Mark.  
“I knew you would say that,” Steve said as he let out a sigh. “Please don’t die. I can’t lose you,” Steve said, and Mark grabbed Steve’s hand and squeezed it. “I will try not to,” Mark said with a smile. Steve smiled back.   
Mark turned back to Tony, “Now what?”   
“We get you in the tank,” Tony said opening the tank. Mark walked over and put one leg over the top and into the water. “God it’s cold,” Mark said.   
“We need to numb your skin. You will get used to it,” Andrea said. Mark lifted his other leg and slowly lied back in the tank. “Alright, still cold. Now, what?” Mark asked.   
“Now we close the tank and pray you make it through it. Remember, you need to stay as calm as possible in the tank,” Tony said to Mark. Mark looked over to Andrea, who gave a look for him to remember what she said. Mark took in a deep breath. “I will try and remain as calm as possible,” Mark said. Andrea walked over and began to close the tank. Before the tank was completely closed, she said, “Don’t die, or else.”  
Mark now floated there in the dark. He could hear nothing and see nothing and soon felt almost out of his body as he floated there. He closed his eyes and tried to do as he was told. He needed to remain as calm as possible. He didn’t know when it would begin, but he needed to remain calm.


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44  
Andrea  
Andrea closed the sensory deprivation chamber and locked it shut. She pulled the door to make sure it stayed shut. She rested her hand on the top of it, “make it through this,” Andrea said in a low voice as she turned to walk toward Tony. “We’re set,” Andrea said.   
“Alright,” Tony said as he typed on the computer. “Now when this begins, I need everyone to focus on not disturbing me or that chamber. When we begin, it's no going back until it is complete. If something disrupts this process, it could kill Mark or leave him in a worse state than before,” Tony said as he began to run the preparations.   
“What will this thing do?” Steve said from the other side of the room staring at the tank.   
“It will reform the neurons Mark lost and reconnect them. It's mainly the reconnection Tony needs to do. It's like brain surgery but with electromagnetics and electricity in the brain. Tony reworked Cerebral so he could see a very detailed image of Mark’s brain and work to reconnect everything,” Andrea explained to Steve.   
“It sounds much more simple than you are making it out to be,” Natasha said.   
“Because we are. The truth is this has never been done, and the way I reworked Cerebral to do this is all very complicated and based on very little research. It’s all a theory really. I just hope it works,” Tony said as he turned the monitors on. “We have heart rate and brain waves,” Tony said.   
“You ready to do this?” Andrea asked Tony. Tony nodded at Andrea and Andrea looked at the others then at Steve, who was still staring at the tank. Natasha, Clint, and Bucky went over with Andrea to stand near Steve.   
“Whenever you're ready, Tony,” Andrea said. Tony typed on his computer and looked up at everyone. “Alright I am just waiting for Mark to calm down a little more, and I will let everyone know when I will start,” Tony said.   
Everyone stood there silently. Andrea watched Steve, who began to fidget as he looked from the tank to Tony and back to the tank.   
“It’s going to be rough, but he will make it, Steve,” Andrea said.   
“What do you mean rough?” Steve asked. Andrea stayed silent when she knew Steve's eyes were burning her for the answer.   
“Alright, he calmed his brain as much as he could. I am beginning,” Tony said. Andrea braced herself for the worst of it.   
They heard screams from the tank. Andrea kept her eyes on Steve, who froze as he heard the screams and the bangs in the tank.   
“What’s happening?” Steve asked.   
“All the nerves are being activated as well for this to work. Mark is feeling the most intense pain possible with everything firing at once,” Andrea said. Steve stepped forward, but Andrea stepped forward to block Steve. “It sucks, I know, but we can’t interfere. If we do, the damage would be too much,” Andrea explained. Steve stood there looking at Andrea in disbelief of what she asked him to do. More screams came from the tanks and Steve impulsively took another step forward, and Andrea was right against him. Natasha stepped next to Andrea.   
“Steve, you can’t take him out of there. He needs to go through it all,” Natasha explained.   
“You guys are sick. How can you expect me to just sit here when I hear him screaming in so much pain?” Steve asked looking at Natasha and Andrea. Andrea avoided eye contact with Steve as the screams increased.   
Bucky took a stance behind Steve while Clint stood between Natasha and Andrea to be prepared. Steve looked at all of them. “You knew he would go through this pain? You knew, and you let him? You didn’t tell me why?” Steve asked as everyone avoided eye contact.   
“He knew too, Steve. He knew it and still went in the tank,” Andrea explained.   
“And you’re just going to keep going has Mark screams from the most intense pain of his life” Steve shouted at Tony. Tony didn’t flinch or look up, he was focused on the computer. Steve tried to step forward, but Natasha helped Andrea push Steve back.   
“You can’t interfere, Steve,” Natasha said.   
“I can’t just stand here,” Steve said.   
“We need you to stay here. You might not mean to, but if it gets worse, you might react and do something. Just stay here,” Andrea said. Bucky put his hand on Steve’s shoulder to help calm Steve down. Steve still looked tense, but he stood still. The screaming began to calm down, and the banging stopped.   
“He must be focusing on decreasing the pain,” Natasha said.   
“I told him to focus his energy away from it as much as possible. The calmer his mind stays, the better Tony can work,” Andrea explained. Andrea didn’t look at the tank at all during this time. She kept her eyes fixated on Steve. She felt horrible to keep him away from the tank, but she and Tony talked about it. This was something that would happen, and they all knew Mark would still agree to it. It was unavoidable.   
An hour passed and Tony still worked. No one really knew how long it would take, but if anyone could keep up this pace, it was Tony.   
Another hour passed, or at least Andrea thought it did. Time felt it was frozen as they all waited there. Steve looked frozen just watching the tank while hearing the heart and brain wave monitors. Everyone was ready for to make sure Steve didn’t go near the tank.   
“Alright, I am at the last part. This is going to be the worst of it. Be prepared,” Tony warned.   
“It gets worse?” Steve asked.   
“Steve, Mark has been managing in there. He will make it through,” Andrea said.   
“He will, but this is a highly dense area. So I expect he won’t manage to remain calm through any of it. It should take about twenty to thirty minutes. I wanted to prepare you guys for it first,” Tony said.   
“Prepare us?” Clint asked.   
“Yes. I actually would suggest Steve leave the lab during this time, but I doubt he will willingly,” Tony said.   
“You’re right, I won’t,” Steve said with anger in his voice. “I can’t leave Mark while you are torturing him and had me agree to it,” Steve was getting louder.   
“That’s what I thought,” Tony said as he rubbed his eyes. “Alright, I am going at it, like I said be prepared.”  
Andrea turned when she heard the screams from the tank. She didn’t mean to look, but it was a reaction. It almost sounded like Mark was being torn apart in there. When Andrea turned, Steve tried to push forward in reaction to the scream. Clint helped Andrea gain her ground and kept Steve back.   
“You guys can’t be serious. You hear him in there,” Steve shouted as he pushed. Natasha needed to help hold Steve back as well, but the super soldier was slowly moving them back. Finally, Bucky put Steve in a hold and pulled him back to the front of the lab. Steve struggled, but Bucky managed to hold him. The screams continued, but Mark was managing not to bang on the tank at all.   
“He is trying to hold it all together,” Andrea said.  
“I don’t know if I could have gone through all this,” Natasha said to Andrea.   
“I don’t think I could either,” Clint added. “He has tough skin, I will give him that.”  
Bucky was managing to hold Steve still. Steve stopped struggling, and Andrea could see tears in his eyes. She felt horrible, but she knows if this worked it would make everything so much better. Steve would see that, and hopefully, forgive all of them. She knew Mark wouldn’t hold it against her.   
Fifteen minutes passed, and it felt like torture for Andrea. It was the worst part of it. She could not even compare the screams coming from Mark to any horror movie she ever saw or anything she experienced. She heard a hit and saw Steve was struggling against Bucky. Steve tried to take the chance to hit Bucky in his eye again and break out of the hold. Natasha and Clint helped Bucky hold Steve, but he was moving and breaking free. Andrea grabbed her baton. She stood there waiting, to see if she needed to use it. Bucky’s hands were slipping, and Natasha was knocked back from Steve. Andrea began to walk forward.   
“On three, let go,” Andrea said. “One, Two…” Andrea turned on the stunner on her baton, “Three.” Bucky and Clint jumped back, and Andrea shocked Steve sending him to the ground. “Hold him down,” Andrea said, and Bucky and Clint did. “Sorry, Steve,” Andrea said as she saw Steve slowly open his eyes.   
“He is your best friend,” Steve shouted. “He was gone for months, and we thought we would never come home. I finally got him home, and this is what you are doing to him? You are going to kill him, and I will lose him for. You will lose him forever. There is no amulet to bring him back. How can you guys take him from me?”   
“He wants this,” Andrea snapped back. “I am supporting him through it, even if it means holding you back,” Andrea said. Steve just glared at Andrea, but he didn’t struggle. Maybe now Steve knew Andrea would do all it took to protect Mark, even if it was from Steve.   
Tony worked for another twenty minutes, well over the time he estimated. Finally, Tony looked up. “Alright, it’s the last bit, then I am done,” Tony said as he looked up from the screen. Then Andrea saw Tony look worried as he typed faster and worked on the computer. Andrea looked down at everyone else who didn’t see Tony’s reaction. Andrea decided to walk over to Tony.   
“What’s wrong?” Andrea asked.   
“One of the circuits got water in it. I need to work faster to keep this going and finish before it shorts out,” Tony said as he typed faster. Andrea heard what sounded like a spark from a tank then Mark scream.   
“Not good,” Tony said.   
Andrea walked back over to the others and Steve. “What’s going on?” Steve shouted.   
“Tony has it handled,” Andrea said.   
“Tell me!” Steve shouted again.   
Andrea Looked over at Tony frantically typing. She didn’t know what to do. Then another spark and scream came from the tank. Andrea sighed, “The helmet got water into the circuits. Tony is working to finish before it shorts out,” Andrea said as they heard another spark in the tank. This time, there was no scream.   
“Tony?” Andrea shouted.   
“He is fine. I got a heartbeat and brain waves. I think he is just fighting it,” Tony shouted back as he worked. Another spark sounded, but this one was louder than the ones before.   
“Shit,” Tony said as he worked.   
Steve began to struggle as the sounds got louder and more frequent. “Tony, is this alright?” Andrea asked as she began to worry more about Mark. Tony didn’t answer. Andrea could see he was focused on working and finishing as quickly as he could.   
“Done!” Tony shouted, and then the lab’s lights flickered as a large slam was heard from the tank. The computer Tony was working on sparked, and the screen cracked.   
“What happened?” Steve shouted.   
“Get him out of the tank,” Tony shouted.   
As soon as Tony shouted those words, Andrea saw Clint fly past her, and Bucky went crashing in the opposite direction. Andrea was pushed by Steve, and she fell to the ground as he ran to tank. Steve didn’t unlock the tank. Instead, he ripped the lock off and threw the top of it open. Steve reached in and pulled out Mark. Mark wasn’t responding when Steve pulled him out.   
Andrea looked as Steve put Mark on the ground and she looked over at Tony. “Give him a second,” Tony said nervously. Andrea got up from the ground and walked over slowly to Mark and Steve. She dreaded each step as she got closer to what she thought was a reality. Then Mark coughed and opened his eyes.   
“Thank God,” Andrea said walking over to Mark. Mark sat up and was shivering from the water. Mark grabbed the helmet and ripped it off, throwing it aside. “Damn thing,” Mark said.   
Andrea saw the helmet. The circuits were exposed, and she guessed that’s where the sparks originated. The helmet was fried. Mark sat there shivering. Steve took off his jacket and wrapped it around Mark.   
“Are you, okay?” Steve asked.   
Mark turned his head, he smiled while still shivering, “Yeah.” Steve hugged Mark when he said this. “Warmth,” Mark said leaning into Steve. Andrea walked closer, and Steve looked up at her, glaring in anger. Andrea froze, not sure what to do. She decided to take one more step forward, and Steve put his hand up in defense for Mark.   
Mark grabbed Steve’s shirt and pulled him close to him. “Promise me something,” Mark said.   
Steve’s hand slowly went down as he looked at Mark. “What?”   
“I’m serious,” Mark said as his teeth chattered. “I need you to really do something for me.”  
“Anything,” Steve said.   
“Forgive them.” Steev just stared at Mark when he said those words. “Don’t be angry, and let her hug me. They would have done the same to me if the situation was switched,” Mark said looking into Steve’s eyes. Steve stared at Mark for a good while but didn’t move. “I am serious about what I said,” Mark repeated. Steve still stared at Mark, then sighed and moved for Andrea to come closer. Andrea ran over and hugged Mark.   
“Warmth,” Mark said.   
“Thank God you survived,” Andrea said sitting there. The others came over to see how Mark was doing, but Steve only glared at everyone. Mark looked over at Steve. “I need to get some warmth,” Mark said as his teeth chattered. Mark stood up, Andrea helped him up. Mark grabbed his jeans and walked to the stairs. “I say start working on forgiving them,” Mark said as he walked up the stairs.   
Everyone watched as Mark left the lab and Tony slowly walked over to Andrea. Andrea hugged Tony, “You’re amazing you know that?”   
“I know,” Tony said with a smile and Andrea squeezed him tighter.   
“How do we know if it worked?” Andrea asked.   
“We don’t, least not till Mark tells us it did,” Tony said. Tony and Andrea turned to Steve, who was looking at the ground and avoiding everyone eyes.   
No one spoke at that moment. Everyone waited, but no one wanted to break the silence. Andrea looked around, and everyone looked uncomfortable waiting for someone to speak. Andrea decided she should be the one to begin things. She let go of Tony and walked over to Steve. Andrea kneeled next to him. Steve didn’t look at Andrea, but he knew she was there. Andrea was worried how Steve would react. She slowly put her hand in his. Andrea waited to see how Steve would respond, he slowly grabbed her hand and held it. Andrea looked closer and could see tears in Steve’s eyes. She knew he was sorry. Andrea leaned forward and hugged Steve.   
“I’m sorry you had to go through that. It was torture for all of us, but I can only imagine how it was for you,” Andrea said. “I’m sorry we had to put you through that.” Andrea could feel Steve’s tears fall against her shoulder as he rested his head on her shoulders and wrapped his arm around her.   
“Why are you apologizing when I was the one who said all those horrible things?” Steve said crying. “I don’t know what came over me. I just did what I thought I needed to do to help him.”  
“I know,” Andrea said squeezing harder. Natasha came in next and hugged Steve as well. Clint and Bucky walked over and put their hands on Steve's shoulder.   
“We’re sorry, Steve,” Andrea spoke for everyone. Steve didn’t say anything, but everyone slowly let go of the hug and Steve wiped the tears from his eyes. “I should be the sorry one. Not you guys,” Steve said looking up at Tony. Steve slowly stood up and walked over to Tony.   
Steve looked at Tony for a good while. Andrea didn’t know what would happen, she was even worried Steve would punch Tony in the face.   
“Steve… sorry,” Tony finally let out. “We had to do it, though. He was getting worse with each passing day, and this was the only way with the best chance and…” Tony was cut off as Steve went in and hugged him.   
“Thanks,” Seve said ad he hugged Tony. Andrea could feel her heart begin to melt as two best friends were hugging. Tony did all he could for Mark and Steve, and Steve finally was able to see it.   
“Um, Steve? I only feel comfortable with Andrea hugging me. So if you could,”  
“Shut up and hug your best friend back!” Andrea shouted cutting Tony off. “Don’t ruin a snuggly moment!”   
Tony glared at Andrea then looked at Steve. Tony hugged Steve. “You’re Welcome. Now go see if it worked. Check on him,” Tony said. Steve pulled from the hug and nodded. Everyone watched as Steve went up the stairs to go find Mark. Andrea looked over at Tony who let out a big sigh. She ran over to Tony and hugged him.   
“You did it!” Andrea said as she grabbed Tony.   
“Well, we don’t know for sure. He lived, that’s important,” Tony said looking down at the destroyed tank and helmet.   
“What if it didn’t work?” Natasha asked.   
Tony kicked the smashed helmet and looked over at Natasha. “Let’s hope it did. We can’t put him through that again.”


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45  
Steve  
Steve walked out of the lab and looked around the first floor. Steve saw the back door open. Mark said he was going to get warm, he must have gone out into the warm summer night. Steve stepped out the back door and saw Mark sitting on the stone wall. Steve walked over to him. Mark turned to see Steve.   
“Hey,” Mark said.   
“Hey,” Steve said jumping up to sit next to Mark. Mark looked at Steve and smiled. Steve laughed as he moved the wet hair out of Mark’s face. “You need to get this cut,” Steve said.   
“I do,” Mark said. Steve felt a small sense of defeat when Mark said that. Mark knew Steve liked his hair longer like that. He was hoping his memory would be back, and Mark would tease Steve about how much he liked it longer. Mark turned his head and looked up into the night sky.   
“Did you forgive them? Or does Bucky have a matching black eye?” Mark asked.   
“I forgave them,” Steve confessed. “I don’t know what came over me when you were in the tank. I just couldn’t stand hearing you scream.”  
“And the damn thing was supposed to be sound proof,” Mark added.   
“That…makes it so much worse. How bad was the pain?” Steve asked.   
Mark pulled his knee close and rested his chin on it. “I don’t even know how to describe it. Have you ever had frostbite, been burned, stabbed, shot, punched, kicked, poisoned, and electrocuted all over at the same time?”   
Steve’s eyes went wide. “Wow, I…I wouldn’t have agreed to it if I knew that's what it would have been,” Steve said. Mark and Steve sat there for a moment just looking up at the sky. Finally, Mark spoke.   
“I still would have done it,” Mark confessed.   
“What do you mean you would have?” Steve asked in an angry tone.   
“Don’t get mad. You would go through it as well if you knew it would make life better for you and the person you cared about the most,” Mark said looking down. Steve caught his anger as well and grabbed Mark’s hand and squeezed it.   
“When you put it like that… you’re right. I would have. I still hated every minute of it,” Steve said.   
“I knew you would. But thanks for sticking with it. I know it was tough for you,” Mark said.   
“So did it work?” Steve asked. Mark let out a big sigh.   
“I think you knew the answer to that question before you even asked,” Mark said looking at Steve.   
“I did. I hoped it was different when I asked, but I could tell it didn’t work,” Steve said holding Mark's hand tightly.   
“Well, maybe I don’t need my memories to move forward with things,” Mark said.   
“What do you mean?” Steve asked.   
Mark hesitated for a moment and reached into the pocket of Steve’s leather jacket. Mark pulled out his hand and put a velvet box on Steve’s lap. Steve’s heart dropped. He completely forgot he left that in his jacket when he put it around Mark.   
“Sorry,” Mark said. “I didn’t mean to be nosey. But I put my hands in the pockets to get warm, and I felt it.”  
Steve picked up the velvet box and held it tight.   
“What did you mean you don’t need your memories to move forward?” Steve asked.  
“What I meant by moving forward is I don’t need my memories to know my answer, Steve,” Mark confessed.   
Steve smiled. “I never meant for this to be the way I asked you,” Steve said. “I always planned something big. But then this whole mess happened.”  
“How long have you had the ring?” Mark asked.   
Steve moved the velvet box in his hand. “I got it before Andrea and Tony got married. I have been carrying it around for over seven months now. I wanted to ask you at their wedding reception, but I chickened out that day,” Steve said putting the box down. Steve felt Mark’s hand on his knee. Steve looked at Mark who looked very confused.  
“Why?” Mark asked curiously.   
Steve sighed, “I don’t know. I think cause I wanted things to be perfect for you when I asked. I didn’t want one thing off because, for some reason, I thought you might say no if something was off. I never felt this way about someone before, and I just worried what it all meant that I wanted to spend my life with you and what if you said no. It’s dumb I know.”  
“It’s completely dumb. Probably the dumbest thing you have ever told me,” Mark said.   
Steve bumped Mark playfully, “That I care that much for you?” Steve asked.   
“No you idiot, that you would think I would say no,” Mark corrected. Steve smiled bigger and wrapped his arm around Mark pulling him close.   
“Warmth,” Mark said leaning into Steve.   
They both sat there enjoying the summer night together.   
“I am going to feel bad telling Tony it didn’t work. He worked really hard on this one,” Mark said.   
“He will be fine. Probably more sad for you than anything,” Steve reassured Mark.   
“And for the record, I apologize for any future complications my memory loss will cause,” Mark said. Steve laughed. Steve found himself running his hands through Mark’s wet hair.   
“Should we go in and tell them the bad news?” Steve asked.   
Mark sighed as he sat up then jumped down from the stone wall, “Might as well,” Mark said as Steve jumped down from the wall as well. Steve led the way but then felt Mark grab his shirt. Steve turned around and saw Mark fall to his knees holding his head.   
“Mark!” Steve shouted as he kneeled down next to Mark. “What’s wrong?”   
“My head,” Mark said as he pressed his hand to his forehead, “Shit,” Mark said as he looked down.   
“Mark!” Steve said.   
“My head is pounding. Fuck!” Mark shouted. “It feels like it’s going to explode.”  
Steve began to panic. He didn’t know what to do. Steve looked at the open door and thought of how to reach the others. “Jarvis! If you can hear me, get the others. I need help!” Steve shouted.   
“Will do, Master Rogers,” Jarvis replied.   
“Thank God,” Steve said not believing that would work. “Hold on, Mark,” Steve said in a panic. Mark reached up and grabbed Steve’s arm. He held it tight and then slowly the grip got less tight.Steve could hear Mark breathing heavily, and he slowly moved his hand away from his forehead.   
“Are you alright?” Steve asked nervously for the answer.   
Mark kept breathing hard for a while. He was finally able to catch his breath. Mark was breathing regularly again, and he slowly lifted his head to look at Steve. Mark smiled.   
“Yeah, I am,” Mark said. “How about you my little warrior?” Mark asked. Steve's eyes went wide, and he felt the world stop.   
“What…did you call me?” Steve asked.   
Mark's smile got bigger, “Little Warrior…” Before Mark could speak anymore, Steve hugged him and fell to the ground. Mark laughed. Steve pulled Mark close and kissed him.   
“I thought that would answer your question,” Mark said with a smile. Steve hugged Mark like he was never going to let him go as they rolled on the ground.   
“So what was that? With your head?” Steve asked.   
“Oh, just decades of memories and information flooding my head at once. It felt like my head would explode. It happened so fast I couldn’t really understand it all until the pain went away,” Mark said as he slowly stood up from the ground. Mark helped Steve up. Steve couldn’t help but smile. Mark was back, he was really back.   
Steve and Mark looked over at everyone running out of the back door.   
“What happened?” Tony asked.   
“It’s fine now,” Steve said smiling and holding Mark’s hand.   
“Did it work?” Andrea asked.   
“Hooker, what do you think?” Mark said.   
Andrea crossed her arms. “I helped you go through the damn procedure and made sure Steve didn’t interfere at all. I do all this for you, and that’s how you respond? I hate you, you are so mean to me,” Andrea said.   
“No you don’t,” Mark replied in a heartbeat, and all that could be heard was Andrea squeaking in excitement as she ran over to hug Mark.   
“He’s back, he’s back, he’s back, he’s back!” Andrea kept repeating, and everyone else came over to hug, Mark.   
“So it actually worked?” Tony asked.   
“It did, You pulled it off,” Mark said. “Thanks.”  
“It’s just good to have you back,” Tony said as he was pulled in by Andrea for a hug.   
“You know you are hugging me more than Steve did,” Mark said to Andrea.   
“I don’t care!’ Andrea shouted. Mark and Tony laughed. Finally, Andrea let go of Mark.  
“We better run some tests to make sure you are fully back,” Tony said.   
“Alright,” Mark said as Tony led the way. Steve still stood there smiling, and everyone else followed but Andrea. Andrea looked at the stone wall and saw the velvet box there. She looked at Steve, “Well? What was his answer?” Andrea asked Steve.   
Steve laughed, “You already know what his answer was,” Steve said. Then Steve felt a big hug from Andrea.   
“Told you,” Andrea said as she slowly let go of Steve. “Come on, let’s go make sure Mark checks out okay.”  
“Alright,” Steve said as he grabbed the velvet box and followed Andrea.   
Mark went through multiple scans and tests. Tony even ran some twice to make sure all the results were accurate.   
“So?” Mark asked. “Am I alright or back in the fish tank?”  
“Well, looks like you won’t need to be a goldfish anymore. Everything checks out. It worked. Somehow it really worked,” Tony said looking at the results. Steve walked up behind Mark and hugged him.   
“I can’t thank you enough, Tony,” Steve said.   
“You will find a way I am sure,” Tony said smugly. Andrea slapped Tony on the arm.   
“So what should we do to celebrate?” Andrea asked.   
“Tomorrow,” Mark said.   
“What?” Andrea asked.   
“I have been through a lot in that fish tank. I am exhausted. Tomorrow we will celebrate, deal?” Mark asked.   
“Pancakes?” Andrea asked crossing her arms. Mark laughed. “Chocolate chip pancakes,” Mark clarified.   
“Tomorrow we celebrate with Pancakes!” Andrea said excitedly.   
Steve felt Mark rub his arm. Steve looked down to see Mark smiling. Steve leaned down and kissed Mark on the forehead. He couldn’t say how good it felt to know nothing would cause Mark to black out or have a meltdown from memory loss.   
“So just to make sure, no side effects?” Tony asked. “I don’t want you going to bed with something else happening.”  
Mark paused for a moment. “I don’t know if it is a side effect of the treatment or my memory flooding, but I don’t really remember much of when Steve and I were outside,” Mark said.   
“You don’t?” Andrea asked.   
“I mean, not right now. I remember parts of it. I remember finding something,” Mark said reaching into the pockets fo Steve’s jacket, “ But I can’t find it now. I think we talked about it. I am not sure.”  
Steve smiled, “It will come to you. Let’s head to bed,” Steve said as he helped Mark up. Mark led the way, and Steve followed.   
“Steve,” Andrea said. “Can I ask you something really quick?”  
“Sure,” Steve said then he turned to Mark, “you head on up. I will be up in a bit.”  
“Alright, I kind of need to shower anyway to get this salt water off,” Mark said as he left the lab.   
Steve felt a punch on his arm, “Ow,” Steve said.   
“Really?” Andrea said throwing her arms up.   
“What?” Tony asked as he stepped closer to them.   
“Steve finally asked the big question to Mark, got the answer he wanted to hear, and now won’t tell him that it happened,” Andrea explained.   
Tony looked at Steve, “Really?”   
Steve felt his face flush red, “I just…I didn’t want to ask him that way. He found the ring in my jacket. I don’t know, I saw it as a chance to do it right. Least now I know what the answer will be.”   
Andrea stood there without reacting for a second, then punched Steve in the arm again. “What do you mean ‘now you know for sure?’” Andrea shouted. “We all knew the answer. I mean if you only knew…”  
“Andrea,” Tony said cutting her off. “Let him ask how he wants to ask. I mean if we are patient enough, we all will see the proposal in the retirement home we will live at together,” Tony said with a smile.   
“Ha, ha,” Steve said.   
“It is a strong possibility, Steve,” Andrea agreed.   
“I will ask him, the right way. My way. Okay?” Steve said. Andrea and Tony put their arms up in defeat.   
“Okay,” They both said to Steve. Steve rolled his eyes as he walked up the stairs. Steve climbed the next set to the second floor and walked down the hall. Steve paused as he reached for the door. He smiled big as he leaned his head against the door. He couldn’t believe it. He was about to open the door, and Mark would be there. Mark, with all his memories back. His boyfriend. It felt like a dream to Steve right now. Steve turned the handle, he saw Mark was dressed in shorts and a shirt still drying his hair.   
“Hey,” Mark said. Steve closed the door and walked over to Mark. Steve grabbed Mark and kissed him. Mark dropped the towel and ran his hands through Steve’s hair as they kissed. Mark was back, fully. Steve missed the way he kissed him. Steve didn’t want this kiss to end. Mark pulled from the kiss and smiled.   
“Missed me?” Mark asked.   
“You have no idea,” Steve said as he kissed Mark again. Steve didn’t know how long they kissed, it wasn't long enough for him. Steve rested his head against Mark’s shoulder when they finished.   
“You okay?” Mark asked.   
“All this happened because Hydra wanted to hurt me. I’m sorry they did this to you,” Steve said looking up. Mark hugged Steve, “And I have done many things to protect you from Hydra. Why do you think this would be something else I wouldn’t do to stop them from hurting you. They wanted to use me, and look what happened to them. What they deserve for trying to hurt you,” Mark said.   
Steve looked up into Mark’s eyes, “Is that really how you see it?” Steve asked.   
“No,” Mark said smiling as he ran his hand through Steve’s hair. “I see you as the one protecting me. You saved me from Hydra and helped bring me back.” Steve smiled back at Mark.   
“Really?” Steve asked.   
“Yes,” Mark said as he hugged Steve. “It was my worst fear to go through that. You really saved me. I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t there.”   
Steve hugged Mark back and rested his head on Mark’s shoulder. Mark was home. Mark was with him again. He didn’t think It was possible.   
“You need to get some sleep too,” Mark said. “Did you really think I wouldn’t notice you awake too during my many sleepless nights?”   
Steve felt his face turn red. “Well, when I had rough nights you would be up when I woke up. I wanted to do the same for you,” Steve said.   
“Yeah, but mine was weeks of lack of sleep, not a day or two a week. Get ready for bed,” Mark said.   
“Alright,” Steve said as he walked over to the dresser. He changed into his shorts and took off his shirt. Steve lied down next to Mark on the bed. Mark pulled Steve close, and Steve felt almost like he was home as well. Steve looked up at Mark. “What if I don’t want to get any sleep tonight?” Steve asked as he yawned. Mark laughed.   
“What?” Steve asked embarrassed of the yawning.   
Mark grabbed Steve’s closer to him and kissed him. “Normally you might not think that was seductive, but it was pretty damn adorable and made me want to kiss you,” Mark said. Steve smiled at Mark. “You always do that. You always did and will always in the future,” Steve said.   
“Always what?” Mark asked. Steve yawned again as he rested on Mark. “You always find the things about me you love and never make me scared to show them to you,” Steve said.   
“Isn’t that what you love best about me? And why I protect you? I remember things from our conversations before,” Mark confessed. Steve looked up at Mark. “So wait, you remember the conversation about the puzzle you were solving?” Steve asked.   
“Yeah, pretty well actually,” Mark said looking at Steve.   
“So?” Steve asked. “Were you right?”   
Mark leaned in close to Steve, “Yup,” Mark said as he kissed Steve. Steve smiled during the kiss. He was happy, happier than he could remember.   
“So sleep or no? Steve asked.   
Mark raised an eyebrow at Steve, “Well you yawned twice, and even though you still have super soldier serum in you, I see bags under your eyes from lack of sleep.”  
“But what if I don’t want to sleep?” Steve asked with a smile.   
“You do,” Mark said. “And I can prove it to you.”  
“Oh yeah?” Steve asked.   
“Yup,” Mark said as he reached over and began to scratch the back of Steve’s head. Steve missed when Mark would do this. It always helped him relax and felt so good when Mark did it.   
“This isn’t fair,” Steve said slowly as he fought the relaxation and sleep.   
“Yes it is, you deserve some rest and trust me, there will be plenty of time for fun later,” Mark said.   
“I still say this isn’t fair,” Steve said as he shut his eyes.   
“Well, what would make it fair when you wake up?” Mark asked.   
“That you are next to me in the morning. I know you are making pancakes, but please stay in bed with me,” Steve asked.   
“How could I say no?” Mark asked. Steve squeezed Mark once more before he let the relaxation take over and he fell asleep.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46  
Mark  
Mark kept all his promises to everyone, especially Steve. Mark woke up and found Steve lying on top of him. Mark let Steve sleep in. Steve woke up around ten o’clock, instead of his normal seven in the morning. Mark just remembered Steve waking up and smiling this morning. Mark coerced Steve into staying in bed longer just to torture those waiting for pancakes all morning. It wasn’t until Andrea made death threats, that they actually got out of bed.   
Mark fulfilled his promise and made pancakes this morning, more than he has ever seen in his life. It seems the whole house missed his cooking, Natasha never went near the stove, but Mark was still surprised they acted like they haven’t eaten food in such a long time. Steve ate the most, which wasn’t a surprise to anyone. Both Mark and Steve left after cleaning up. Steve went on a long jog while Mark went to S.H.I.E.L.D. Mark had a few things he needed to manage at S.H.I.E.L.D. before he could do what he wanted for the day.   
Mark dreaded his meeting with Fury. Fury would understand what happened wasn’t entirely under Mark’s control, but it still didn’t stop Fury from shouting “What the actual fuck,” at Mark when he walked into his office. Mark was shocked he wasn’t arrested on the spot when he entered S.H.I.E.L.D. Mark later found out Fury needed to work on damage control because of everything Mark did. Mark couldn’t help but feel bad about doing this to Fury, it more seemed like Fury was scared. Even without his powers, Mark was able to take down the Avengers. The higher-ups at S.H.I.E.L.D. feared Mark and what he could do, and how Steve was affected by Mark’s absence was a major concern as well. Fury didn’t say it in so many words, but it seemed people were upset about the relationship. More so the “suspicion of a relationship” if Mark used Fury’s words. Mark felt unsettled by the whole thing, he wondered how the higher-ups of S.H.I.E.L.D. would react if they knew it wasn’t a suspected relationship. Mark also left a note for Fury as he left the office.   
“What’s this? Planning to go on another mission? But you just returned…” Fury stopped as he read the note. Mark saw a smile grow on Fury’s face. “Well about time. I will approve your mission. See you after a few weeks.”  
“Thanks,” Mark said as he began to walk out of the office.   
“Oh and go easy on him,” Fury said. Mark paused in the doorway when he heard Fury. “He is going to flip when he sees this mission request. That and the Higher-ups have always had a hold on him. Remember that when it happens. They don’t know and won't approve.”  
It took a moment for Mark to realize what Fury meant. “I will.”  
“Oh and I expect to be the first to get an invite,” Fury added.   
Mark was stunned by Fury’s request. “How did you…”  
“Please, I have known you for how many years? It’s just nice to see it finally happen. Again the first to get an invite, or else you are out of the Avengers,” Fury went back to his desk. “Now leave I have to still clean up your mess. Having you join the Avengers has doubled my work.”  
Mark smiled as he left.  
Mark arrived back from S.H.I.E.L.D., and he was happy to find out Steve didn’t get back from his jog yet. Mark pulled out his phone as he walked up the stairs. He didn’t have long before Steve got home, so he needed to hurry. Mark sent a text to Andrea.   
“Hey, you know that special something I asked you to hold on for me? Can you bring it to me in my room? Thanks” Mark wrote as he walked down the hall. Mark entered his room and grabbed two bags from the closet and threw them on the bed. He quickly went to the dresser and grabbed clothes to put in each bag. Mark had filled each half way before he went to the closet. Mark made sure to pack the essentials in each bag. He went into the bathroom once he finished with the closet to grab toiletries. Mark put them in the bags. He thought for a moment and realized he needed to grab different pairs of shoes. Mark went to the closet and put three pairs in each bag. There was one issue, Mark could only find one boot. Mark sat on the floor wondering where the other boot could have gone. He looked around the room for ideas.   
“You’d think with my memory back, I would know where everything is,” Mark said to himself. He looked back in the closet and sighed in defeat. He needed to find this damn boot. Mark stood up and walked over to the dresser and looked on both sides of it. Mark went to the door and looked behind it. When he opened the door again, he saw Andrea standing there. Mark jumped back,” Jesus,” he shouted.   
Andrea put her hand on her hip, “Since when does the great assassin get scared so easily?”   
“I don’t but,” Mark said as he gestured with his hands, “that face can scare any man,” Mark smiled.   
“I hate you so much,” Andrea said glaring at Mark.   
“No you don’t,” Mark said continuing his search.   
“I brought it,” Andrea said holding a small box with a smile.   
“Awesome,” Mark opened his hands, and Andrea tossed it to him. Mark caught it. Mark opened the box to see the contents and closed it smiling.   
“So is it true? You really are leaving on a mission for three weeks?” Andrea asked.   
“Wow…” Mark said surprised. “Word travels fast.”  
Andrea leaned against the door frame, “It’s what Clint heard from S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents, but I went to the source. Fury told me you won’t be able to be reached at all during this time. Is it true?”  
“Yup,” Mark said as he put the box in one of the bags. Mark then zipped up the bag.   
“And you didn’t tell Steve?” Andrea asked stunned.   
“Nope,” Mark said as he sat back on the floor. “Damn, where is it?”   
“You know, you are known for being reckless on missions, but this is suicide. Steve will freak,” Andrea said. Then Mark and Andrea both looked out the door as they heard the front door slam.   
“MARK!” Andrea and Mark winced when they heard the shout from downstairs.   
“Sounds like he’s already freaking out. Stay nearby and watch the show,” Mark said as he looked near the nightstand. “Oh, and ask Tony if I can borrow his jeep. I need it for part of the mission.”   
Andrea sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “You are helpless. I will ask him.”  
“You staying for the show?” Mark asked.   
“Of course!” Andrea said as she turned to leave the room. “I will hear it from my room. Good luck,” Andrea said as she left.   
“Mark!” Mark heard Steve shout again. Mark wondered what would be the best way to get on Steve’s nerves right now. Mark pulled out his phone and sent a message to Steve.   
“Hide and seek, and you’re it!” Mark wrote and hit send. Mark could hear Steve’s phone go off from the room.   
“Mark, I know you’re here! I am not playing games!” Steve shouted. Mark wished he could have seen the look on Steve’s face but decided enough was enough.   
“Room,” Mark wrote and sent to Steve. Mark heard the phone go off and then the sound of someone running up the stairs, only the person went about three steps at a time. Mark decided to keep on his search for the boot while Steve arrived.   
Mark heard Steve walked in the room. “How was your jog?” Mark asked.   
Steve didn’t reply. Mark could see Steve standing in the doorway while he searched for the boot. Mark looked under the bed and saw the elusive footwear. “Haza!” Mark shouted. Mark reached under the bed, but the boot was out of reach.   
“Are you going to look at me?” Steve asked.   
“Are you going to answer my question? How was your jog?” Mark asked as he tried to reach the boot. “Damn,” Mark said, and he pulled off his own shoe to help reach for the boot.   
“It was fine until I heard from Clint,” Steve said.   
“What’s up with Clint?” Mark asked.   
“He was telling me some information he got from S.H.I.E.L.D. Then I called Fury, and he confirmed it. Are you really going on a mission?” Steve asked.   
“Yup,” Mark said as he knocked the boot a little closer to himself. It still was too far to reach with his hand.   
“And it’s for three weeks?” Steve asked.   
“About, yeah,” Mark said confirming the information as he hit the boot closer. “Almost there,” Mark said.   
“And you won’t be able to be reached for the whole time? Why is Fury doing this to you?” Steve asked.   
“Fury isn’t doing it to me, I asked for the mission,” Mark said as he grabbed the boot. “Finally,” Mark said as he slid out from under the bed.   
“What?” Steve asked.   
Mark looked up at Steve, “I finally got the boot,” Mark said smiling holding up the boot.   
Steve looked confused for a moment then went back to being angry. “I mean what about the mission. You asked for it? Why?” Steve asked.   
“I did ask for it. And I guess I thought three weeks sounded reasonable. Why are you so angry about this?” Mark asked.   
Steve crossed his arms and soon went red in the face, it was the first time Mark saw the red come from anger. “Why?” Steve asked loudly. “I don’t know, maybe I lost you for months, and when I got you back, your memories were still gone. You still weren’t fully here. Then Tony miraculously found a way to get your memories back which tortured you and me. I had to be held back by everyone while you were put through immense pain. Then you came back to me Mark, you were fully back. Now you don’t even have your memories back for twenty-four hours, and you are planning on leaving?” Steve asked.   
“Yup,” Mark confirmed.   
Mark saw Steve turn an even darker red. “I can’t even really believe you right now! You are being completely selfish and leaving me, again, but this time by choice. What am I suppose to do, Mark? Miss you my whole life? You want to go on a mission for three weeks with no way to contact you or talk to you, and everyone is supposed to be fine with it? I hate to use this language, but you are a complete asshole, you know that?” Steve shouted. Mark was pretty sure Jarvis’s circuits shook from how loud Steve yelled.   
“I have been told I am an asshole from time to time,” Mark said carrying the boot to the bag.   
“What are you doing with my boot anyway?” Steve asked.   
“Packing it,” Mark said as he put the boot in the bag and zipped it up.   
“Packing it?” Steve asked.   
“Yup,” Mark said lifting the bag and tossing it at Steve. “We don’t have much time. I kind of booked everything last minute. Hopefully, Tony will let us borrow the jeep. If not, I am going to need to figure out how to get a rental last minute.”  
Steve was looking down at the bag and then slowly looked up at Mark. Mark grabbed the second bag and walked over to Steve.   
“You’re right… with everything. I am going on a mission for three weeks. It has sucked I have been apart from you for months, and even when I was back, I wasn’t fully here because of my lost memories. I regained my memory less than twenty-four hours ago. I did a lot of thinking last night and this morning, and I realized I don’t want to share my time with anyone else right now,” Mark said stepping closer to Steve. Steve looked into Mark’s eyes as Mark cupped Steve’s face. “You’re coming with me, you goof. It’s a vacation for you and me. Three weeks, just us. I promised you the next time I would go on a mission I would take you with me and make it a vacation, remember? What do you say?” Mark asked.   
Steve’s face turned from dark red to a light pink. He felt completely embarrassed by his behaviors and Mark could tell he did. “Really?” Steve asked looking at Mark with a smile.   
“Yes, really,” Mark answered.   
When Steve heard those words, he leaned his head into Mark’s hand and closed his eyes.“You always do this. Always some sort of surprise or something I never would expect. I didn’t think you would ever do anything for me to get that angry, but when Fury told me about it, I lost it. I was so angry at you for leaving me again when I just got you back. Why did you let me believe it was an actual mission?” Steve asked.   
“Cause to me, it is. A mission for us. And I said everything you said was true. I can be an asshole at times,” Mark said smiling.   
Steve put the bag down and hugged Mark. Steve didn’t say any words. Mark hugged him back. Steve pulled back from the hug. “I don’t know what to say,” Steve said.   
Mark reached down and grabbed Steve’s bag, “Yes?”   
Steve grabbed it and grabbed Mark, pulling him in for a kiss. “Yes!” Steve said. “This is something I want to do. I don’t want to share you right now either.”  
“Good,” Mark said as he walked to the door. Steve grabbed Mark’s hand, and Mark turned around. Steve looked down as he held Mark’s hand. “What did I do…to deserve you? No one ever puts me first like you do. You always know how to take my day and make it so much better. You did it with my entire life,” Steve said.   
Mark stepped back and kissed Steve on the cheek. Mark saw Steve’s smile grow larger. “You do the same for me. That’s how you deserve it. Now come on, let’s see if Andrea got the keys from Tony,” Mark said pulling Steve along. Steve just kept smiling.   
Mark exited his room and saw keys flying at him. Mark caught them. “You are one suave asshole, you know that? And you were right, it was a good show,” Andrea said smiling. “Enjoy the vacation. I will manage things here.”  
“Thanks,” Mark said swinging the keys in his hand. Steve walked beside Mark as they walked to the stairs. “You are one suave asshole,” Steve repeated.   
“Don’t steal her clever words, you need to come up with them on your own,” Mark said smiling.   
“If I recall, I called you an asshole before she did,” Steve said.   
“If my intact memory serves me correctly, no. Andrea has known me longer and don’t think that is the first time she has called me an asshole,” Mark said.   
Steve squeezed Mark’s hand, “She may have known you longer, but you are mine, and I will fight for you.”  
“Oh yeah?” Mark asked.   
“Yeah,” Steve said moving his hand up and grabbing Mark’s arm as they walked down the stairs.


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47  
Steve  
Steve woke up and stretched out on the bed. Mark wasn’t joking when he said he didn’t want to share his time with anyone else. Steve and Mark had no cell phones, no contact with the others, not even a television here in the cabin Mark got for them. The only time they saw any people was right before they arrived, they stopped to get groceries for the week. Mark said they would be here for two weeks, and he had a surprise trip planned for Steve for the last part. Steve rolled over to see the bed empty. He wondered where Mark went, but smelled food and figured Mark was cooking breakfast. Steve got up and went to the kitchen. Steve smelled food but didn’t find Mark. He found a plate of food covered, he uncovered it to find pancakes, eggs, bacon, and some potatoes. Steve covered the plate and looked outside to see if he could find Mark. Steve looked out to the deck and saw a hammock set up far near the end of it. Steve couldn’t see Mark in it, but he knew Mark was lounging out there. Steve went to the table and uncovered the plate again. He enjoyed every bite of the food, it was cold but still good. He missed Mark's cooking and knew everyone back at the mansion hated Steve got the food to himself. Steve put the plate in the sink and went back to the room to change. Steve put on some swim trunks and a tank top and went outside. Steve walked barefoot through the grass over to the deck toward the hammock.   
Steve looked over to the hammock to see Mark swinging in it and reading a book.   
“You weren’t in bed when I woke up this morning,” Steve said.   
Mark looked up from his book and raised an eyebrow, “You refused to get up this morning. I tried to wake you up three times. Finally, I thought the smell of food would wake you up, but you just turned over and slept. So I let you sleep. Don’t be mad at me because you wanted to sleep the day away.”  
Steve leaned in and ran his hand through Mark's hair, “You know you were the one keeping me up all night,” Steve said.   
Mark smiled, “Oh now you are complaining?”   
Steve laughed, “No, I am just saying we had a long night of fun. I guess you wore me out.”   
“I think I did more than that,” Mark said lifting Steve’s tank top. “Wow, even with super soldier healing you have bruises on you.”  
“Hey now,” Steve said reaching to Mark and pulling down his shirt collar. “I left my mark on you as well.”  
Mark’s hand went over to the few bite marks Steve made. “Yeah, I was surprised by your primal behavior last night. Maybe it was the scenery?” Mark said.   
“Maybe,” Steve said. Mark’s hand went around Steve to turn him. “Let me so how bad I left ya,” Mark said. Steve turned around and lifted his shirt.   
“Is it as bad? I kinda liked it all to be honest,” Steve said.   
“It’s not bad,” Mark said putting his hand on Steve’s back. “Some cool water will help, though,” Mark said as he pushed Steve off the deck and into the lake. Steve hit the water, and it did feel cool and refreshing. Steve came up to the surface and heard Mark laughing.   
“Got you,” Mark said. Steve swam up to the deck and pulled himself up. Steve walked over to the hammock and crossed his arms glaring at Mark. Mark’s laughter stopped, and he sighed. Mark closed the book he was reading and put it aside.   
“Seek your revenge now,” Mark said.   
“Gladly,” Steve said as he grabbed the hammock and flung Mark into the water. Mark came up and all Steve could see was Mark's hair in his face. Mark went under again to fix his hair, and Steve just smiled looking at him.   
“Feel better?” Mark asked looking up at Steve.   
“A little,” Steve said as he took off his shirt and jumped in. Mark blocked his face from the splash and Steve swam over to Mark laughing.   
“You just had to steal my prank didn’t you?” Mark asked.   
“Well, it is only fair since you are keeping me in suspense for our next trip. Why not stay here for the whole three weeks?” Steve asked.   
“Because I have something special in mind at our next destination. Besides, this is just an opportunity for us to unwind and reconnect in a way. You said it yourself, I was gone for months, and when I was back, most of the time I didn’t have my memories. I think we needed this,” Mark explained.   
“So does this mean I don’t have to work through your defense at all this trip?” Steve asked with a smile.   
“Oh ha, ha,” Mark said splashing water at Steve. “Is it my fault I went into self-preservation mode when I lost my memories?”  
“Yes,” Steve said with a smile. “If you trusted me from the beginning, you would have been back with me sooner.”  
“I will remember that when my memories are gone again, oh wait…” Mark said glaring at Steve, “I won’t.”  
Steve laughed as he swam in the lake. Mark swam over to the deck and pulled himself up. Mark grabbed a towel and dried off some while still sitting with his legs in the lake. Steve swam over to Mark. “Not going to join in the swim?” Steve asked.   
“Says the man who spent the whole morning sleeping away while I was out here alone,” Mark said with a smile. Steve grabbed Mark’s legs to hold himself up so he didn’t need to swim.   
“I was relaxed, what could I say?” Steve replied.   
“I can’t blame you for that, that’s the whole point of this trip. It is for both of us but more for you. I kind of put you through hell the last few years huh?” Mark said looking down.   
“Somewhat,” Steve said with a smile. “In truth, I was in hell before I met you. I would say you pulled me out of hell…in style.”  
Mark laughed. “Multiple life-threatening moments and a few deaths would do that. Thor would say we pissed of Hela with all we did,” Mark said.   
“We did, but it’s behind us now. We get to enjoy the moment,” Steve said.   
Mark lifted Steve up with his legs and looked at him. “Still, thanks for putting up with me through it all. It wasn’t the easiest thing for you to do, but glad you did it.” Mark smiled.   
Steve froze looking at Mark. He didn’t know what to say. His mind thought of everything they went through then Steve thought of the things he had gone through before Mark entered his life. Steve pulled himself closer and grabbed Mark’s hand.   
“You are always taking the blame for things, aren’t you?” Steve asked.   
Mark looked confused, “What do you mean? I kind of have been the one Hydra was after all this time and not to mention the whole Loki thing,” Mark said.   
“Yeah,” Steve said squeezing Mark’s hand. “But Hydra was after you because of me. And if you remember I messed up many times in the beginning. I saw you as the person most others did. The weapon, the assassin meant to live on forever. I am the one who should be happy you stuck through it with me. Not to mention you gave me another chance.”  
Mark smiled, “Well, you were persistent.”  
“And I would continue being persistent until you did. I don’t think you notice the change you brought out in me,” Steve said.   
“I don’t,” Mark agreed. “You have always been the same since we went to the grocery store together. I mean you had your walls, but I always saw the same Steve.”  
“Not everyone got to see me as well as you saw me. And you were always the same to me,” Steve said.   
“A sarcastic asshole? Or the man who enjoyed being reckless with his life? Take your pick,” Mark said.   
Steve laughed, “Is that what you really think I see?”   
“No,” Mark said, and they both stayed there in silence for a moment.   
“I am still happy you stuck around,” Mark said.   
“I am too,” Steve said as Mark pulled Steve under with his legs. Steve came up from the water to the sound of Mark laughing.   
“You know if Andrea were here, she would knock you in the head for ruining a snuggly moment,” Steve said.   
“Yeah? Well, she isn’t. So what are you going to do about it instead?” Mark asked raising an eyebrow. Steve pulled himself up and pulled Mark into the water and dunked him under. Mark came up to the surface, and Steve could hear him laughing.   
“I take back the sarcastic asshole part, I do see that in you,” Steve said. Mark just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “What can I say?” Mark asked. Steve swam over and hugged Mark.   
“You don’t need to say anything,” Steve said as he kissed Mark.   
They swam for a bit and went back to the dock and sat there looking out into the lake. Steve thought about how far they both come and how much he felt truly happy. Steve felt Mark rest his head on Steve’s shoulder. Steve looked over and saw Mark look up at him.   
“Hey,” Mark said. The greeting he always said to Steve. Steve smiled and wrapped his arm around Mark.   
“Hey,” Steve said back, looking at Mark.  
“You know,” Mark began, “I didn’t think it was possible to fall for someone as badly as I have for you. I really do love you, Steve.”  
“Are you having a snuggly moment?” Steve said joking. Mark poked Steve in the side.   
“Shut it. I have them. I just am not very good at them,” Mark said.   
“You are,” Steve said disagreeing. “You don’t know how good at them you are. Trust me, I know.” Steve smiled as he squeezed Mark.   
“I feel bad for everyone else back at the mansion, though,” Mark said.   
“Oh?” Steve said.  
“Well without us there, they must be bored out of their minds,” Mark said with a smile.   
“I would be bored out of my mind without you around,” Steve said leaning in to rest his head against Mark.   
“I heard. It was bad news bears for you when you guys couldn’t find me,” Mark said.   
“Where did you hide anyway?” Steve asked.   
“Can’t say for sure on which night. I had multiple safe houses I made or found throughout the city. I don’t think I stayed in the same one more than once to be honest. I only stayed at Hydra about three times,” Mark confessed.   
“You are one savvy man,” Steve said.   
“Yup!” Mark said lifting his head and looking back. “So want to be lazy in the hammock for a while?” Mark asked.   
Steve smiled, “Sounds perfect.”


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48  
Andrea  
Andrea lied on the couch and swung her arms in the air. “I am so bored!” She announced loudly to the house. Andrea didn’t know who would respond, but she was hoping for someone.   
“Why are you so bored?” Tony asked walking into the room.   
“It’s been dead, and quiet. No criminal activity since we took down Madame Hydra. Mark isn’t here to train us. And I have no one to enjoy the day with, and you have been off to a secret meeting with S.H.I.E.L.D.,” Andrea said sitting up. “When are you going to tell me what’s up at S.H.I.E.L.D. and what they want from us now?” Andrea asked.   
Tony sighed as he took a seat next to her. “I guess I can fill you in on some things,” Tony said.   
“Finally!” Andrea shouted as she got comfortable. “So what does one-eyed Jack want from us now?” Andrea asked.   
Tony laughed at Andrea’s joke about Fury. “It’s actually a serious idea he is developing. He wants to have more Avenger bases across the United States and even in other countries. He is setting up a new initiative now and asked for me to help fund some of the projects,” Tony explained.   
“More Avengers?” Andrea asked.   
“Yeah,” Tony said. “We can do a lot on our own, but if something happens in say California, it will take us time to get there. If there is a base there, then it will be easier for that team to react to the crisis.”  
“So more teams can handle more crisis situations. And when a bigger threat comes along,” Andrea began.   
“We have a large team to help manage the crisis against Earth. It’s not a bad idea. We just need new recruits is all,” Tony explained.   
“So do we have any prospects?” Andrea asked.   
“A few talented kids,” Tony said.   
“Wait…kids?” Andrea asked.   
“Yeah, the initiative is the Young Avengers. We will have them come here to train, and we are looking into having one or two previous Avengers head the posts in the new location. So we will be expanding the mansion to house a few kids,” Tony explained.   
Andrea raised an eyebrow, “How many ‘kids?’” She asked.   
Tony thought in his head for a moment. “Out of all the candidates, I think we have five in total. We are just training up for the west coast Avengers for now.”  
“And who will be their trainers?” Andrea asked.   
“All of us,” Tony said. “We each have a skill set which we can pass on to them. Fury wants all of us involved.”  
Andrea’s eyes widened, and she put her hand on her face. “God! And you guys decided this while Mark was gone,” Andrea said.   
“Yeah, Fury made a point to launch this while he and Steve were on vacation. He knew Mark would fight against it,” Tony admitted.   
“And you think he is just going to just be okay with it?” Andrea asked. “You know how he feels about training superheroes. Fury had to force him to train the Avengers when he allowed me to join. He isn’t going to like it that Fury is forcing him to do it again.”  
“We will deal with it when the time comes,” Tony said leaning back on the couch.   
“We?” Andrea asked. “I hope by we, you mean you and Fury. I do not have a part in this, nor do I want a part in it. You are going to get an ear full from Mark. And I am sure he will be happy coming back to this after his engagement.”  
Tony raised an eyebrow, “So Steve is finally going to ask Mark for keeps this time? Bout time. I don’t know how long he had been carrying around that ring.”  
“No…” Andrea clarified. “Mark is going to ask Steve. Where have you been? We both know Mark is going to be the one to finally ask.”  
“It’s going to be Steve. Sorry, babe. Steve has wanted to ask Mark for so long. I know Mark is your best friend and all, but I know Steve will ask him,” Tony said smugly.   
“Oh yeah!?” Andrea said. “And the fact you are bias cause he is your best friend has nothing to do with it?”  
“Course, not,” Tony responded. “I am right on this one, trust me.”  
Andrea thought for a moment. “Want to bet on it?” Andrea asked.   
“You are not getting a puppy out of this,” Tony said.   
“But why!? I want a fur baby. What’s wrong with having a puppy around here? She can keep you company in the lab with me,” Andrea argued.   
“We don’t have time to manage a dog. Added the fact we will have a bunch of kids here in a few weeks, I don’t think now is the time for a dog,” Tony said.   
Andrea’s eyes widened, and she smiled, “Not now? So you thought of it and maybe want one?”   
“Damn,” Tony said as he realized what he just revealed. “Maybe it would be nice,” Tony began, but before he could finish, Andrea jumped up and hugged Tony.   
“Oh my God. We are getting a dog,” Andrea squeaked.   
“Not right now, maybe down the line. Who knows. We will have more time with these other Avenger teams managing crisis across the country,” Tony said.   
Andrea sat back and thought for a moment then let out a sigh, “So this isn’t a bad idea after all. Where do we begin?” Andrea asked.   
“Well by doing two things: building an addition to the mansion, and looking at the recruits,” Tony explained.   
“What are we looking at for powers?” Andrea asked.   
“We have a few magical people, some who can shrink and shoot projectiles. We have a female version of the Hulk. It all varies. We even have a kid who is a human spider,” Tony explained.   
“Gross,” Andrea said. “And how are we going to divide up the training?” Andrea asked.   
“We will look at their weaknesses. You will be in charge of monitoring their progress and providing feedback on their growth as well as working on their espionage skills with Natasha. We will have it all figured out. I can help with technology, Steve will manage tactics, Clint will work on targeting, and Mark…”  
“Will work on combat training. I still don’t know how he is going to take this. Well, a new project for us to start plus a wedding to plan,” Andrea said smiling.   
“A wedding?” Tony asked.   
“Of course, Mark and Steve helped with our wedding. We should help with theirs,” Andrea said matter of factly.   
“Their wedding will be much different than ours,” Tony explained.   
“I know it will be silly. But it will be something they would want help on,” Andrea said then she thought for a moment. “Do you think Steve will ask you to be his best man?”  
“I don’t know, to be honest,” Tony said looking down.   
“He will,” Andrea said. “I know it. I know Bucky is back, but you have been through the worst of time with Steve. Bucky may have been his best friend when they were kids, but you are his best friend now.”  
“You’re right,” Tony said smiling at Andrea. “Besides, how do you know Mark won’t ask me to be his best man?” Tony asked.   
“Hooker, you know Mark is going to have me go down that aisle in something that is sexy and suit like for me to wear and I am going to be the best woman at his side. Don’t think for a second you will take that spot,” Andrea defended.   
Tony laughed, “Well you might be right about that, but we will find out after Steve proposes.”  
“It’s going to be Mark! I still want to make a bet on it!” Andrea shouted.   
“Fine, fine. How about if you win, you pick our next vacation spot. We can’t get a dog right now,” Tony said.   
Andrea put her hands on her hips and lifted her head in victory, “I am fine with that. You just need to be happy with where ever I decide.”  
“Confident now?” Tony said.   
“Cause I already won. Now come on, show me the plans for the addition and the files on these new recruits,” Andrea said standing up.   
“Alright, but no pouting when you lose,” Tony said standing up and walking with Andrea.   
“There will be no pouting because I won’t lose, you will see,” Andrea said as she followed Tony to the backyard to talk about the additions.


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49  
Mark  
Mark paid the cashier and grabbed the breakfast to go. Steve was sleeping in this morning like he did most of the mornings on this vacation. Steve enjoyed the two weeks in the cabin but was surprised to know their last week would be in Los Angeles. Steve had no idea what Mark had planned, and Mark liked it that way. He reached into his pocket to check to see if the tickets were still there that he picked up earlier in the day. He felt both of them, and he left the restaurant to return to the hotel. Steve enjoyed being lazy over the vacation, and he loved the cabin. Mark knew Steve would love the lake and the hiking trails in the area. Steve was also surprised to see Mark get dirty during the mud season, while Mark enjoyed tackling Steve down in the mud. It was nice to laugh and not worry about the Avengers or what new threat would await them upon their return. Right now, their only worry was one another.   
Mark put his headphones on and walked down the street. He missed his music and having it on him, luckily it was only his music, and the team couldn’t contact him on his iPod. Mark made a point for it to just be him and Steve this trip. Not surprisingly, neither missed having cell phones around.   
Mark walked down the street and passed by an electronic store with the televisions showing the breaking news. Something caught Mark’s eyes as he stopped and looked at the television. The television played a segment on politicians speaking about the Avengers and the destruction which occurred in the city. Mark read the captions as they went by on the bottom of the screen.   
“Avengers are the military’s personal weapon to use against the people.”  
“When do the people have a say in what is safe to have in our country?”  
“What’s next for the civilians living in New York City?”  
“Are the rumors true of the Avengers expanding across the nation?”  
Mark froze as he thought back to past wars and what began them. He looked down as he could recall propaganda beginning to swayed the public opinion and people in power using the fear to begin something horrible. Mark stared back at the screen and shook his head. There was no way this would happen. Too many of the Avengers value others’ lives over their own, and Mark wouldn’t let this happen. He picked up a headphone which fell and put it back in his ear. Mark glanced over at the television again and kept walking. He had more important things to worry about.   
Mark arrived at the hotel and entered. He took the elevator up to the twelfth floor. Mark could have gotten a penthouse for him and Steve, but they didn’t need so much space. Instead, Mark got them a large master suite with a big bed and jacuzzi tub. That’s really what either of them needed. Mark exited the elevator and walked down the hall. Mark pulled out his key card and slid it into the lock. He opened the door and entered.   
Mark took off his headphones and put his music on the table. Mark walked over to the bed and saw Steve was awake but didn’t move from his position he was in when Mark left.   
“You’re up,” Mark said walking over and brushing back Steve’s hair to kiss him on the forehead. “I wanted to take you to breakfast, but you didn’t want to move this morning. Luckily the place had taken out,” Mark said as he put the food on the nightstand.   
“I wanted to move but I couldn’t,” Steve said closing his eyes.   
“Did I wear you out last night?” Mark asked.   
“I don’t know if those are the right words,” Steve said slowly moving. As Steve moved, Mark could see Steve’s legs shaking. “I still feel it all, from last night. It was so different than the other times,” Steve said slowly sitting up.   
Mark smiled, “I will get the food, we can relax in bed and eat,” Mark said getting the food and putting in between them as he sat on the bed. Mark began to empty the giant bag of food on the bed, Mark knew Steve would be starving, so he got more food for him.   
“So last night was different? In a good way?” Mark asked.   
“In a… perfect way. It had always been amazing but last night was just perfect. I still am shaking from it. I guess I liked it that you took your time and went slowly, and I don’t know. I also never felt so close to you before,” Steve said blushing.   
Mark laughed, “No need to be embarrassed, Steve. I… felt the same. Last night was almost like the first time we had sex but much better. It did feel that intimate and I think it wasn't about us missing one another and instead about us loving the time we spend with each other now,” Mark said.   
“I am glad you surprised me with this trip. I knew how much I missed you, but now I know how much I am in love with you. All the craziness of being an Avenger is gone, and I can focus on you now,” Steve said as he grabbed a box of food. Mark grabbed the box from Steve.   
“No, no, no. This is mine. This one is yours,” Mark said handing Steve one of the large boxes.   
Steve opened the box and smelled the breakfast food. “Smells really good,” Steve said grabbing a fork.   
“Yeah, it’s a place I wanted to take you this morning, but I guess I am to blame for you not being able to move,” Mark said with a smile. Steve leaned against Mark as they ate their breakfast. Mark was happy he got extra food for Steve. It seemed like last night’s events made him more hungry than usual. Steve and Mark finished their meal, and Mark got up and cleaned the empty containers. Steve lied down on the bed satisfied with the meal.   
“That was good. Maybe it was good we didn’t go. I would have eaten more food than you brought back here,” Steve said stretching out on the bed.   
“Yeah? Well hopefully I would have had enough money to pay for it all,” Mark said laughing as he cleaned up.   
“What’s on the agenda for today?” Steve asked smiling as he lied on the bed.   
“Nothing till around six tonight, so we have some time to relax,” Mark said.   
“Well get back into bed then,” Steve said as he moved over.   
“I will just need to clean the mess you made,” Mark said raising an eyebrow.   
“Alright,” Steve said reaching for the remote. Steve turned on the television and put on the news. Mark cleaned up all the trash and walked over to Steve. Mark froze as he looked at the television and saw the same newscast as earlier. Mark stared at the television reading the same headlines, now with more anger toward the Avengers. People debating if the Avengers should be a team given the hospital attacks over the last few months. Mark folding his arms and got lost in his thoughts. Mark couldn’t help but go back to the feeling he had before, he didn’t like it. Mark felt a hand grab huh, it snapped him back to reality. Mark turned to see Steve.   
“You okay?” Steve asked.   
“Yeah, just…” Mark looked back to the television. “A lot of people don’t seem to like us right now.”  
“It happens now and again when people are upset about an attack,” Steve said as he pulled Mark to the bed. Steve wrapped his arms around Mark as Mark leaned back and rest on Steve. “S.H.I.E.L.D. will manage it, and it will all blow over. Trust me,” Steve said.   
“Yeah,” Mark said looking at Steve and smiling. “Okay,” Mark said as he grabbed the remote and turned the television off.   
Steve lied there resting his head on the pillow. Mark looked up at him, “Are you about to fall asleep?” Mark asked.   
“I can’t help it. You have been spoiling me with the amazing late nights in bed and the great food. It’s been too much at once for me,” Steve said with his eyes closed.   
“Since when has the super soldier serum slowed down your stamina?” Mark asked.   
“Since I found out how much I enjoy just laying in bed next to you after an amazing night,” Steve said pulling Mark up close so he could rest on him.   
Mark ran his hand through Steve’s hair and scratched the back of his head. “See,” Steve said, “spoiling me.” Mark laughed. Mark leaned over and set the alarm with enough time to get ready for the events in the evening. Then Mark grabbed his book and opened it.   
“Not going to rest?” Steve asked.   
“I am a good pillow to you, but sadly I am not tired. I will let you sleep, though, but we are getting up later cause I have a big surprise for you,” Mark explained.   
“Why?” Steve asked as he rested his head on Mark.   
“What do you mean why?” Mark asked.   
“Why do you do these things for me?” Steve asked as he shut his eyes.   
“You know why, ” Mark answered as Steve fell asleep.   
Mark was able to read his book and finish it before Steve woke up. The alarm sounded, and Mark saw Steve stretch as he woke up. “You slept a while,” Mark said as Steve continued to stretch.   
“I needed it. I can actually move now after last night. I guess my body needed more time to recover from that,” Steve explained.   
“Well good, now you can get ready,” Mark said.   
“Ready? Oh,” Steve remembered, “your surprise.”  
“Don’t sound too excited,” Mark said sarcastically.   
“Well, I have no idea what it is. It could be anything knowing you,” Steve answered as he got up.   
“Just shower and I will change,” Mark said.   
“Fine, how should I dress?” Steve asked.   
“You will know when you are done showering,” Mark said smiling keeping the mystery.   
Steve showered as Mark changed into a regular tee shirt and put on his converse. Steve came out of the shower with just a towel on.   
“Well?” Steve asked.   
“We don’t have time for sex right now Steve, get dressed,” Mark said smiling.   
Steve pushed Mark playfully. “I meant what do I wear?” Steve asked.   
“Something to go with this,” Mark said as he reached over and pulled out an old Brooklyn Dodgers hat from his suitcase. Mark handed Steve the hat.   
Steve took it and held it in his hand. “Where did you get this?” Steve asked.   
“I wasn't nosy. It was when I lost my memories, and I was looking around the room to find things to maybe spark a memory. I found it. I know it’s yours from when you were a kid,” Mark explained.   
“But the Dodgers aren’t in Brooklyn anymore,” Steve said.   
“I know,” Mark agreed. “I couldn’t take you to a Brooklyn Dodgers game, but the team still exists. That’s why we are in Los Angeles, Steve. I wanted to take you to a Dodgers game. I got us box seats,” Mark said pulling out the tickets. “I know how much you love baseball, and I figured this would be something…” Mark couldn’t finish before Steve stepped forward and hugged him. Mark hugged Steve back.   
“Sometimes I wonder how you do it,” Steve said.   
“Do what?” Mark asked.   
“Exceed any expectation I have for a surprise. You always find some way to surprise me with something I never would have expected or known you would have figured out. I just…how can I compete with that?” Steve asked.   
Mark pulled back from Steve and cupped Steve’s face. “You don’t have to compete with it. You love baseball, and the Dodgers are your favorite team. I just put two and two together. Now you know how to dress, and we can get ready. It’s an evening game,” Mark said.   
Steve looked at Mark deeply. “You really expect nothing from me other than to be myself and happy when I am with you. Don’t you?”  
“Should I ask for more? You shouldn’t expect anything else either from me,” Mark said smiling. Steve leaned in and kissed Mark.   
“When I don’t expect anything you do things like this. I just… I don’t know what to say,” Steve said.   
“How about I will be ready in ten minutes?” Mark asked. Steve laughed and leaned in to kiss Mark again. Steve quickly got ready and put on his Dodgers hat.   
They left the hotel room and walked down the hall. Steve grabbed Mark’s hand, and Mark turned to smile as he hit the elevator button. The walk to the Dodgers stadium was long, but Mark enjoyed the walk with Steve. Steve kept getting more excited as they got closer, it was like seeing Steve go back in time as a kid in Brooklyn. They entered the stadium and began to find their seats.   
“Wait,” Steve said. “Don’t you hate baseball?”   
“I do,” Mark said. “But you love it, so we are going to sit here and enjoy a Dodgers game.”  
Steve glared at Mark. “You really expect me to just let you sit through it without being involved in the sport?”   
“Yup,” Mark said.   
“Well, I am going to make sure everyone can hear me shouting the whole time we are sitting there,” Steve said with a smile.   
“Well then,” Mark said as he walked to the concession stand. “I won’t share any of my nachos with you.”  
“Now that is cruel,” Steve said following Mark. Mark laughed as they waited in line for their food. They made it to their seats and Steve was right, Mark hated baseball. Mark never really fell in love with America’s past time. It was too boring for him. Mark sat there and enjoyed the crowd and everyone cheering for the team. Mark jumped at one point hearing Steve shout at the umpire. Mark’s eyes went wide when a Dodger player was called out, and Steve responded.   
“You have got to be kidding me? Are you freaking blind? The umpire is insane for making a call like that! He was safe, any idiot could have seen it from a mile away!” Steve shouted.   
“I feel that is the closest you get to cursing when angry…except when you were angry with me,” Mark said smiling.   
“You should hear me when the umpire makes worse calls,” Steve said staring intensely at the game. The game was exciting for the fans, Mark found it boring as the score continued to be zero to zero. The innings went on, and finally, the ninth inning came up. Mark stood up and grabbed Steve’s hand.   
“What’s up?” Steve asked.   
“Come with me,” Mark said.   
“But it’s a tied game and the ninth inning. We can’t leave now!” Steve whined.   
“We aren’t leaving the stadium, just follow me,” Mark said. Steve finally followed Mark. Mark lead Steve to a part of the stadium which was more private, but you could see the whole field from where they stood. Mark went to the railing and leaned against it. Steve stood next to him and looked at the game.   
“What’s up? Why did we come up here when we had such good seats?” Steve asked.   
Mark was quiet and just looked down. Steve looked over at Mark. It wasn’t like Mark to be so quiet especially when he was alone with Steve.   
“Something wrong?” Steve asked. Mark continued to remain silent, but Steve could tell Mark was in his thoughts. It was true, Mark was thinking about a lot right now and didn’t know exactly how to say it.   
“Okay, now you are worrying me. What’s up?” Steve asked turning to Mark.   
“Steve, I know you say I am good at surprising you, but I am not the best at everything. Shocking I know, I just don’t really know how to say this,” Mark said not looking at Steve.   
“Since when do you have trouble saying something to me?” Steve asked.   
“You’re right. Let me ask you something,” Mark said as he turned to Steve. Mark reached into his pocket and pulled something out. Mark got down on one knee and showed in his hand a velvet box. “So Steve Rogers, will you marry…” Before Mark could finish Steve hugged Mark causing them to fall to the ground. Mark laughed. “I thought I was bad at this,” Mark said.   
Steve got up slowly laughing, “Sorry, I guess I had given my answer before you finished.”  
“Did you?” Mark asked. Steve cupped Mark’s face and leaned in to kiss him. “Yes, Yes I will marry you, Mark. You surprise me in the best ways,” Steve said.   
Mark breathed a sigh of relief.   
“What? Did you think I would say no?” Steve asked.   
“Well there was a chance,” Mark said.   
Steve laughed as he held Mark’s hand, “You knew the answer before you asked.”  
“I hoped for it,” Mark said looking down at the velvet box. Mark opened it to reveal a light blue metal ring. Mark pulled it out and put it on Steve’s hand. Steve held his hand close to see the ring.  
“What is it made of? I never have seen anything like it,” Steve said.   
“That’s a little unknown to me really,” Mark said.   
Steve looked at Mark, “What do you mean?”   
“Well, I had that ring for a while now, before I lost my powers. I made it. I spent a while pulling all the energy I could to make something new and different. A light blue metal came out of it. I liked it, so I kept it. I would say it is the most expensive ring on the market since that metal does not exist anywhere else,” Mark explained.   
“You made it…” Steve said looking at the ring again. “Way back then?”  
Mark blushed, “Yeah, I did. Andrea held on to it for me since I didn’t want you to accidentally find it. She kept it locked up safe. I remembered it and asked her for it before our trip.”  
“Are you…really blushing right now?” Steve asked.   
“I am not good at this!” Mark said.   
Steve laughed and kissed Mark. “You are amazing at this,” Steve said.   
“Well, maybe I got tired of you blushing all the time,” Mark said turning redder.   
“Red is a good color on you,” Steve said jokingly.   
“Shush, Rogers,” Mark said.   
Steve laughed and looked down at the ring. “All those months ago you made it? You thought of this for so long?” Steve asked.   
“I mean…yes,” Mark confessed. “I never met someone like you ever, and I never wanted to lose you,” Mark’s voice got lower as he spoke. “You are the amazing one to me.”  
“You know… I got a ring for you a while back as well,” Steve confessed.   
“Oh, you mean this?” Mark said as he pulled another velvet box out from his pocket.   
“You found it?!” Steve asked surprised.   
“The thing is, Steve,” Mark began, “if you are going to use a metal I made, I am going to sense it. It didn’t take long for me to realize something was weird around the room when I did,” Mark said as he handed Steve the box.   
“I didn’t think that part through,” Steve said.   
“Well?” Mark asked.   
“What?” Steve asked back.   
“Are you going to ask me?” Mark said with a smile. Steve smiled back and leaned in to kiss Mark. When they pulled back, they heard the crowd shout as the stadium went wild. Neither one could see anything from the floor. But the Mark turned to see Steve on one knee.   
“Mark, will you marry me?”

 

Thank you for reading the Third book. I know it took a while to load up on the site. Please look for the next book in the series which is being worked on now. We already got a glimpse of what is the come with the end of this one, hope you stay along for the journey for these characters. Also leave a comment, kudos, or bookmark to stay updated on the stories. Thank you for reading.


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